Mission To Gamus
by SpirkTrekker42
Summary: Complete w/epilogue! Sequel to Teach Me. Kirk and Spock have one mission left before they can return to Earth. But what was supposed to be a routine supply run to a planet known for its peaceful society turns into something far more sinister. K/S SLASH
1. Prologue

Disclaimer: Star Trek belongs to Gene Roddenberry. The movie rights belong to J.J. Abrams and Paramount. Thanks to Zachary Quinto and Chris Pine for inspiring me to write about the young versions of Spock and Kirk!

A/N: Warning: This story contains SLASH. As in a male/male relationship. If you don't like it, don't read it. Thank you.

That being said…welcome back, everyone! Again, thanks for sticking with me through my first story. As promised, I have begun to work on the next installment of Kirk and Spock's adventures. For my new readers, _Mission to Gamus_ is the sequel to _Teach Me_. I would recommend that you read _Teach Me_ first and then read this story, as it explains how Spock and Kirk came to be where they are now. This story will follow a similar format of The Original Series, but I will keep the flavor of the ST: XI universe alive as well.

For those of you who haven't watched TOS, the crew of the _Enterprise_ was sent on a five year mission in deep space. My story will be consistent with that, and may refer to some incidences on the show although they will be very minor. They are more of a treat for those of you who have watched TOS. If you haven't watched TOS, I highly recommend it. The countless tender moments between Kirk and Spock make the outdated scenery and technology seem irrelevant.

Excluding the prologue, the story will follow a format where each chapter alternates between Spock and Kirk's point of view. My sister, who is also a K/S shipper, will be writing some of Kirk's POV, so I will be having assistance there. I'm also crediting her for outlining the plot with me. I couldn't have done it without her support! Now, on to the prologue…

.~.

_Mission to Gamus_

Ch. 1: Prologue

(Spock POV)

Stardate: 2263.3

Space is disease and danger wrapped in darkness and silence. This is a favorite saying of Dr. McCoy, and it has been proven to be correct. Five years spent in uncharted deep space has taught the crew of the starship U.S.S. _Enterprise_ to expect the unexpected and to conquer our worst fears. We have experienced our share of deaths, thus forcing the young members of Starfleet to come to grips with their own mortality, myself included. Every one of us has experienced the agony of not knowing if their friends down on the planet's surface would return to the ship. I especially was well acquainted with this particularly unpleasant feeling, thanks to the risky behavior of the one closest to me.

There have been many near-misses for our beloved captain, James T. Kirk. Dr. McCoy often accused me of not caring that our captain was sick or injured, as I would not outwardly show my true feelings. My Vulcan sensibilities allowed me to perform my duties as acting captain, but that did not mean I wasn't afraid I would lose my captain. Each time Jim neared death's threshold, I walked that dark, lonely path with him. Through our mind link, I sent him strength, pleading that he return to me. And every time, he did. For you see, while Captain Kirk is indeed my best friend, he is also my bondmate.

Directly following the Nero disaster, we were bonded on New Vulcan just in time for my premature entrance into the pon farr cycle. The entire crew of the _Enterprise_ was on hand to witness our bonding ceremony, and I was pleasantly surprised that they approved of our interspecies relationship. My father, the Vulcan ambassador to Earth, had taken much more persuasion before he finally accepted my union with Jim. But thanks to the wisdom of my elder self, Sarek found that he could welcome another human into the House of Surak.

.~.

Over the duration of our relationship, Jim and I slowly grew together. He'd suddenly had a thousand responsibilities thrust upon him, from deciding who was to be part of the landing party, to marrying love struck ensigns, to deciding whether or not to adhere to the Prime Directive when we encountered primitive civilizations. As time went by and he had plenty of successful missions under his belt, he grew more confident about commanding the _Enterprise _at such a young age. I much appreciated that he learned to value order, although he still didn't run the ship by the book. I accepted this, because while it was not logical, this ability was what made him such a fine captain.

I, on the other hand, had learned how to 'lighten up' when I was not on duty. This, of course, was Jim's fault. Though I still retained my logical sensibilities, I allowed my newly developed sense of humor to seep through when I deemed it appropriate. Dr. McCoy, Sulu, Uhura, Scotty, and Chekov seemed to appreciate this very much, and over time I found that Jim's friends had become mine as well.

.~.

When it was just the two of us alone together, I allowed myself the luxury of showing him affection. This was something I absolutely would not do when we were on duty. No matter how Jim pleaded, I wasn't about to let him steal a Vulcan kiss every time he passed the science station. That sort of behavior would be undignified for a starship captain. But when we retired to our quarters each night, I found myself subtracting many more things from my "Vulcans don't" list. Jim's vast expertise in matters of physical intimacy coupled with a mind meld is a most powerful experience, which was why I don't allow a meld every time. It would simply be too much for both of us to handle.

However, although Jim and I had a stable relationship as a whole, there were plenty of difficult and trying times in our hectic lives. There were days when I could barely speak to Jim after he'd made yet another reckless decision that almost got him killed. Dr. McCoy shared my anger, as we both knew of his several suicide attempts as a child and as a young adolescent. Jim would lash out at us for worrying about him and then sequester himself in our quarters. About an hour later, he would emerge, smiling as if nothing had happened. I tried to get Jim to discuss it with me, but he always but refused, citing some petty excuse about paperwork or other ship's business. Tensions flared between us and we butted heads for days before I finally forgave him. Finally, after one of these incidences, I asked Jim what he thought would happen to me if he died and I had no mate for my next pon farr. I could tell this disturbed him greatly, even though he said that it would be only logical for me to choose another mate. After that illuminating discussion, the number of unnecessary risks taken by the captain greatly diminished.

Though my relationship with Jim has certainly been a challenge, it has been vastly rewarding. My time with spent with him in the freedom of open space was worth facing the surprise Klingon attacks, the unfortunate loss of landing parties, and the alien viruses. He is the shining presence who gives all on board the _Enterprise_ the hope that what we are doing - cataloging new planets and making contact with new civilizations - is more than worth it. Even when the hope for the ship's survival is grim, Jim keeps the atmosphere light and positive. Our crew knows that he never gives up in any situation, that he has the uncanny ability to think of unorthodox methods that allow them to live another day. All on board the _Enterprise_ have the utmost respect for their young captain. They would follow Jim anywhere if he asked it of them... and so would I.

.~.

There is a deep, sometimes blinding connection between Jim and I, one that could not easily be severed. We discovered this unique energy that flared between us that fateful day when I taught Jim's History of Starfleet course. He dared to challenge me in regards to the proceedings of the Kelvin incident. Not realizing at the time that he was George Kirk's son and wanting to put this arrogant young human in his place, I brutally insulted him in front of the entire class. This led to an increasing animosity between us over the next three years. It culminated when Jim joined the Three-dimensional chess club, of which I was president. Begrudgingly, I taught him how to improve his game, and he often requested me as his opponent. Although we did not know it, this was the beginning of a friendship that would define us both. Right before Jim's graduation from the Academy we figured out that what we felt for each other transcended simple friendship. We were in love, pure and simple. I am pleased to report that our love has lasted for the entire duration of the mission, although the 'newly-bonded' blissful period has long since passed. Nevertheless, these past five years were by far my happiest, as Jim filled the festering hole inside of me left by the destruction of Vulcan, making me whole again.

Our strong bond has made our partnership as Captain and First Officer the most efficient in the fleet. We know what the other is thinking before we speak, and it helps us to make split second decisions during times of crisis. It also helped cut down on the amount of arguing on the bridge. Well, out loud anyway. We'd had many telepathic debates on how to handle certain situations if the subject was too dire for the bridge crew's ears. For the most part, we respected each other's opinion. But although his rank gave him the highest authority, Jim always held my advice in the highest esteem. He knew that he could always count on me to give him a detached, logical outlook on the situation, just as Dr. McCoy could give him the emotional point of view. Jim did his best to consider both before taking action.

.~.

While we have enjoyed our time of exploration, all things eventually come to an end, even this unprecedented mission of five years. We had one last mission to carry out, a medical cargo run to a distant planet, Gamus. Once we delivered the cargo, we were ordered to return to the San Francisco base for reassignment. It sounded like a simple supply run, and we expected no trouble from the Gamosians, as their society was a considered a peaceful one. Still, some of our most disastrous missions had occurred we'd least expected it.

.~.

This night I lay in bed, pondering what was to come for us. Earlier Jim had been worried that once we returned to Earth, Starfleet would give the _Enterprise_ to someone older, with more credentials. I assured him that after his stellar performance as her captain, it would be illogical for them to do so. Then he confessed that as long as Starfleet assigned us together, as they were required to do for all married couples, he would be content. I had no choice but to thank him for such a sentiment, and afterwards Jim collapsed at my side, alerting me via telespeak that it had never been that intense for him before. Vulcans don't usually feel smug, but as I am half human, I allowed said illogical human emotion to leak through our bond. Just this once. Jim fell asleep with his arm protectively over my waist, and I wished that we could go on like this forever.

End of Prologue

A/N: There you have it! As always, feedback is always appreciated. Thanks!


	2. This Side of Paradise

Disclaimer: Star Trek belongs to Gene Roddenberry. The movie rights belong to J.J. Abrams and Paramount. Thanks to Zachary Quinto and Chris Pine for inspiring me to write about the young versions of Spock and Kirk!

A/N: Here is the first real chapter of this fic. While it's still K/S and still fanfiction, this story is like nothing I've written before. I hope you guys find it worthy of the 'Teach Me' universe.

And…thrusters on full!

// denotes telepathic speech between Kirk and Spock

_Mission to Gamus_

Ch. 1: This Side Of Paradise

(Spock POV)

The following morning, it was business as usual on the bridge of the starship _Enterprise_. We were following a course set for the Iota Quadrant, which housed our upcoming destination. Gamus was a class-M planet, which would allow the landing party to breathe in the nitrogen-oxygen atmosphere without an apparatus. I was quite looking forward to this last excursion on our final mission, as a return trip to Earth with Jim would be most satisfactory. And if the captain's over exuberance this morning was any indication, Jim was looking forward to it as well. Of all of us, he deserved a nice long shore leave on his home planet to recharge and rest up before he was assigned another mission.

"Mr. Chekov, give me an estimate on the arrival time to Gamus." Jim impatiently drummed his fingers on the arms of his command seat. Alerted by the noise, Sulu glanced over at his captain, and Jim just gave his pilot an apologetic smile. The Asian-American stifled a chuckle at his young captain's eagerness to complete their final mission.

"Aye, keptin." The young ensign made a few calculations before answering. "We haf twenty-sewen minootes left, sir."

"Thank you, Ensign." Now all Jim could do was wait. I gave him approximately twelve seconds before he would begin to…

//Spock, I'm bored.// There it was. It was at times like these that I seriously considered shielding Jim from my thoughts, but decided against it. I wasn't really bothered by his mental complaints, however illogical they may be. As long as he kept up the appearance of professionalism, I could handle anything he threw at my mind. Except for that one trying day soon after we were bonded – after that I forbade him to think dirty at me while we were on the bridge.

//Find something to amuse yourself with, Jim. I am busy.// I wasn't really, but I returned my attention to my station anyway, making some notes about the data produced by my carefully calibrated instruments.

Moments later, a gleaming, golden object caught my attention from across the bridge. In the reflection of one of my scientific instruments, I watched as Jim absentmindedly turned his Terran wedding band around and around on his left ring finger. I glanced at its mate on my own left hand, and a simple feeling of contentment washed over me. I remembered that day that we had picked them out after Jim's promotion ceremony in San Francisco. As I had been lonely for most of my life, not a day passed by that I wasn't grateful for my bond with Jim. I hoped that I never took it for granted, even on the days that we fought. Without Jim I certainly could have survived. Vulcans are quite self-sufficient beings and do not require much emotional attention. But would I wish to live alone without Jim, now that I had experienced the full breadth of his love? No, I most certainly would not.

"Keptin, how much longer before I can return to Russia?" It seemed that Jim was not the only one who was bored on the bridge. Chekov continued, "I am getting wery homesick, and wodka can only help so much…"

"Just one last milk run and then will be time for the _Enterprise_ to return to Earth." Jim's grin was infectious. Nearly everyone on the bridge returned it. Everyone, save for myself. Instead I chose to express myself through our mind link, which Jim appreciated more than any slight curl of my lips.

//Happy about the completion of our mission are we, Spock?//

//I was merely expressing my gratitude that the crew will be given time to reconnect with their families.//

//Uh huh.// Came Jim's knowing reply.

"Captain, Starfleet is hailing us." Uhura informed him. This quickly wiped the grin from Jim's face.

"On screen."

Although he had been in command of this ship for five years, I observed that Jim still sat up a little straighter in his chair every time the command center contacted us. While he did not have anything left to prove thanks to his nearly flawless record, I assumed the habit carried over from his early command days. Then, Jim had been almost desperate to show Starfleet and his crew alike that he was worthy of a responsibility as important as captaining the _Enterprise_. Those who had served with him during the Nero Incident had no trouble believing Jim was up to the task, but there were plenty of others who weren't quite as trusting of Starfleet's newest Golden Boy. Some of them found themselves to be victims of the Vulcan Nerve Pinch if ever the circumstances ever allowed.

"Captain Kirk, this is Admiral Barnett." The familiar image of the dark-skinned man appeared. "We are sending an encoded message to Mr. Spock's console now. I trust you will follow your orders as directed." Jim nodded.

"Will that be all, sir?" He sounded rather polite, but I could detect the faintest hint of sarcasm in his voice. Even though he was captain of his own ship, Jim was still not thrilled about answering to authority figures.

"That will be all," said the admiral. "Good luck. We will see you back at base as soon as your ship can make it. Barnett out." His image winked out of focus, then disappeared entirely. The bridge crew began to mutter amongst themselves until Jim held up his hand for silence.

"Well, Mr. Spock?" We both knew that I had already translated the coded message. I spoke out loud for the benefit of the bridge crew.

"Captain, it seems we are not making just a simple medical supply run to Gamus." Jim groaned.

"Why am I not surprised? Alright, let's have it." I gave him the slightest incline of my head.

"It seems, sir, that Starfleet wishes us to convince the Chancellor of Gamus to ally his planet with the United Federation of Planets."

"Diplomacy; _great_," Kirk sighed. "Just what I am best at."

"On the contrary, Captain, while you are a most efficient leader, you are less than proficient at the art of diplomacy, which is why I received direct orders to accompany you on this mission," I replied.

//You know perfectly well that I was being sarcastic.// Jim inwardly griped, but I felt his amusement through our mind link.

//But _they _do not.// Thankfully, the bridge crew remained in the dark as to our telepathic conversations. Well, other than Dr. McCoy, but he was usually working in Sick Bay, and Lt. Uhura, who had the decency to feign ignorance.

"Thank you for reminding me of my lacking in that area, Mr. Spock."

"It is my duty to do so, sir."

//Smug bastard.// Kirk thought fondly.

//Illogical human.// Our bantering stalled for the moment as Jim punched Sick Bay's frequency from the panel on his seat.

"Bones, how are those antibiotics coming?"

"We just finished bottling them up now, Jim," came the reply. "Those Gamosians owe Nurse Chapel and I a good night's sleep."

"Good to know you're on schedule. Kirk out." Jim glanced up at the viewscreen, which was beginning to brighten as we dropped out of warp.

"Approaching Gamus now, sir," said Sulu.

"Keep her steady until we make contact with the local government," Kirk reminded him. "I don't want another misunderstanding like the one we had at Rigel VI." Sulu flushed under Kirk's reprimanding stare.

"Understood, Captain." Jim then punched in the frequency for the engineering deck.

"How we doing, Scotty?"

"The engines are holding up just beautifully, captain," said Scotty, his voice tinged with its usual dreamy quality he reserved for discussing the engines. "Dinnae tell you I'd have her back online after that last wormhole?"

"I'll never doubt you again, Mr. Scott," Kirk promised as he terminated the connection. "Mr. Spock, what do we know about the civilization on Gamus?" I accessed the computer, bringing up all documented information on the planet.

"It seems, Captain, that their society revolves around marriage."

"Marriage?" Jim said, disbelieving.

"Affirmative. But I must point out that on Gamus, marriage is only permitted between a male and a female." Kirk frowned at that, but it was a small one. I knew it always came as a bitter surprise to him that our bond would be considered null and void in a few of the outer systems.

"We've dealt with old-fashioned civilizations like this before. It shouldn't be a problem."

"But it's wrong, Captain," Sulu protested, sneaking a glance at Chekov, who blushed. "We haven't had a close-minded attitude like that on Earth since the early 21st century!" I agreed wholeheartedly.

"It is not logical to discriminate against love, regardless of the gender or species of the partners." I shared a quick glance with Jim. A hint of warmth flared through our bond as those on the bridge voiced their agreement.

"I know you all don't like it. I don't like it either," said Jim. "In fact, I hate it. But regardless of how we feel about the morals of their society, it's still our job to get Gamus on board with the Federation. We can't let our personal feelings get in the way." Our captain was suddenly all business, reminding us of the goal of our mission.

"Aye, sir," Sulu acquiesced sounding rather despondent. We orbited the planet a few times, drifting as we waited for contact from the Gamosians.

"Captain, we are being hailed by the Gamosian Chancellor." Jim grinned as the communications officer's long black ponytail whipped around, revealing her tanned, elegant face.

"That's what I like to hear, Uhura. We'll get this over so fast we won't even have time to dwell on the particulars of Gamosian society. Patch him through." Two male humanoids materialized on the screen. One wore an elaborate garment of deep violet, the other wore an olive tunic embossed with a silver emblem. They both sported long, turquoise beards.

"Greetings, Captain Kirk." When the one in purple spoke, his voice commanded the attention of all on the bridge.

"Greetings," Jim returned. "Do I have the pleasure of speaking with Chancellor Oreilli?

"At your service." The man bowed respectfully. "And this is my associate, Ambassador Worryn. We've been expecting you." The shorter man also bowed.

"We appreciate your punctuality, Captain Kirk."

"Of course," Jim said smoothly. "We only wish this meeting to be a productive one. This is my First Officer, Spock." I stood at attention from my station, my hands firmly clasped behind my back as Jim introduced me.

"A Vulcan," the Chancellor observed, nodding at me. I detected a slight sheen of sweat on the brows of both Gamosians. They shifted uneasily as I made eye contact.

"Half-Vulcan, half human, actually," I corrected him. I did not care for the man, although I could not understand why. But then I did not care for many of the slick political types, as they often projected an aura of deceit. "You are lucky to have him aboard your ship, Captain. Vulcan intellect and logic is something to be prized." I wondered if the ambassador was trying to flatter me, or if he was simply stating the facts. Time would tell.

"Then it will be no surprise to you that Spock will be present at our negotiations," Jim continued. "Also, Chief Medical Officer McCoy will be beaming down with us to help distribute the supplies amongst your people." Both Gamosians bowed in gratitude.

"Please, Captain, we would like to personally thank you for delivering some much needed supplies," the Chancellor offered. "Come dine with us."

"We would be delighted," Kirk informed them, gracing them with his charming smile.

"Excellent." The Chancellor returned Jim's expression. "We're transmitting the coordinates to your computer now."

"Thank you, Chancellor, Ambassador," said Jim, giving them a small bow of his own.  
"We will rendezvous with you in a few minutes. Kirk out." The bridge became a flurry of activity again now that we had successfully made contact with the planet's surface. I listened as Jim contacted Sick Bay and ordered McCoy down to the transporter room. Then he stood up, and addressed his crew.

"You are to maintain orbit until the landing party returns." Sulu and Chekov nodded. "Spock, you're with me. Sulu, you have the conn." I followed Jim into the turbolift. In a blink of an eye we arrived on our desired deck.

"Jim, I sensed something about the Gamosians," I admitted as we headed towards the transporter. "They seem nervous, as if they are hiding something."

"Perhaps they are," Jim considered. "It wouldn't be the first time a foreign civilization tried to pull the wool over our eyes." I raised an eyebrow.

"I do not understand what a lamb's fleece has to do with-" He chuckled.

"It's just an expression."

"Ah." We joined McCoy on the transporter pad. Mr. Scott had come up from engineering to personally send us off.

"Scotty, do we have all of the medical supplies ready?" Jim asked, glancing over at the crates that were to be beamed down with us. The Chief Engineer nodded enthusiastically.

"You bet your ass we do, Captain." Jim gave Scotty a wry smile.

"Good. Energize."

.~.

We appeared at the designated coordinates, right outside the outskirts of the capital city of Bhapteesta. The two Gamosians that we had spoken with met us just after we arrived, along with what appeared to be a security contingent. These men, dressed far more simply than the Chancellor or the Ambassador began to load the medical supplies onto a large gurney for transportation. Apparently I was wrong about them being security, as they were used as simple manual laborers. All of the Gamosians present had long, turquoise beards. Interesting…

"Captain Kirk, your presence on Gamus is most welcome!" The Chancellor embraced my bondmate with open arms. Jim awkwardly patted him on the back, while Ambassador Worryn grabbed a flailing McCoy around the middle. After Chancellor Oreilli released his grip on Jim, he started towards me. Inwardly, I blanched at the advance.

"I wouldn't," Jim warned, waving his hand at the Chancellor, who stopped in his tracks. "Vulcans aren't thrilled about being touched," he explained.

//Unless you know all the right places, that is.//

//_Jim_…// Luckily, the Chancellor saved me from any further embarrassing mental comments by my inconsiderate bondmate.

"I see from your ring that you are married, Captain."

"Yes, I am," Kirk said with a smile. "Happily so."

"Is your spouse beautiful, captain?" Oreilli inquired.

"Exponentially beautiful," Jim smirked, resisting the temptation to sneak a glance at me. I hoped that the Chancellor wouldn't recognize the green tinge of my ears for what it truly was.

"And Mr. Spock is married as well," Ambassador Worryn noticed.

"Bonded would be the more accurate term," I said stiffly. "But the idea is essentially the same. My mate and I are joined together for all eternity under Vulcan law."

"Ah, a Vulcan bond. I had heard of such a thing," the Chancellor remarked, trying to impress with his knowledge. "They are said to be quite deep. Bonds last over long distances, enabling both partners to communicate telepathically if the need ever arose." I gave him a small nod.

"That is correct."

"Do you miss your wife, Mr. Spock?" Ambassador Worryn wondered as we walked through the botanical gardens that lead into the city. Workers tended to the weeds, pruned the bushes, and watered the flowers as we passed through.

"Vulcans do not feel that particular emotion," I answered, carefully side-stepping the actual question. That was when I saw Jim glance at McCoy, who jumped in to rescue me before the Gamosians could continue to pry into my personal life.

"I, on the other hand, am happily divorced," McCoy cheerfully volunteered. Oreilli and Worryn stopped dead in their tracks.

"I am so sorry to hear that, doctor," said Oreilli, sounding grave. "But I don't understand." He turned to Jim. "Why is he still on your staff if he is divorced?" Jim chuckled at McCoy's evident discomfort.

"We don't kick people out of Starfleet for getting divorced. If we did, we'd be in a hell of a lot of worse shape than-"

"But without his wife, how does he function?" Worryn wondered, genuine confusion written across his visage.

"I can push the replicator buttons just as well as anyone else, thanks," McCoy muttered. "In fact, I find that I function better after my divorce. I have more peace of mind, for one."

"Worryn, their physiology must be different from ours," the Chancellor realized. "How ignorant of me for not realizing earlier. I should've known when Doctor McCoy mentioned he was better off after his divorce."

"But Gamosians are humanoid," I pointed out. "To what differences are you referring to? Please explain." We resumed walking towards the capital and the two men did their best to outline their society. As it turns out, the term 'divorce' has no meaning to a Gamosian. Like Vulcans, Gamosians bond for life. Apparently, a Gamosian love bond is much like a Vulcan one, only without the telepathy. Their species is such that the males and females benefit so much from their love bonds that they cannot function properly without such a bond. After they complete adolescence, Gamosians have approximately ten years to select a mate before their senses begin to dull. Once bonded, the love they would receive from living in close contact with their mate would strengthen their mind and balance their emotions. I could understand now why there would be no room for divorce in Gamosian society. All in all, I found their species to be quite fascinating, especially when I learned that their crime rate was almost nonexistent. They didn't even have an official security force, as virtually none of their citizens desired to break the law. If we weren't due back on Earth so soon, I would request to study this utopian society further.

"Are there any cases when Gamosians don't bond?" Jim wanted to know. Chancellor Oreilli and Ambassador Worryn exchanged a worried glance. When Oreilli spoke, his voice was grave.

"As with every population, we have some of our young born with disabilities, their genes horribly mutated. Their physiology is such that they cannot develop even the slightest bond with another. This greatly impedes their ability to function in our society, much like being deaf or blind would for a human."

"But we take care of them," Worryn insisted, noticing the shocked expressions on Kirk and McCoy's faces. (I kept mine carefully in check.) "We provide them with work to do, and in turn for their services they receive free housing and nourishment from the government."

"That sounds a little like slavery to me," McCoy muttered.

"I assure you, doctor, if their intelligence were higher, there would be no need to regulate their lives as we do. But the fact remains that these unfortunates do not think like you or I, their minds are animalistic in nature," Orelli insisted. "They need us to do their thinking for them. We have a rather symbiotic relationship with the unfortunates - they do our least sought after work, and we make sure their needs are met."

"Interesting. Would it be possible for us to visit a few of these unfortunates?" Jim casually asked.

"Absolutely," answered the chancellor. I noticed that his large smile didn't quite reach his eyes. "In fact, I can send your doctor to tend to an ill faction of them right away. You and your first officer are of course welcome to accompany him." Indeed I was curious about this lower functioning contingent of Gamosians, but I knew that McCoy's report would be more than sufficient.

"Thank you, sirs, but we really would like to get started with the negotiations," Jim pressed them.

"If that is alright with the Chancellor and the Ambassador," I smoothly added.

"We welcome it!" Using his wrist communication device, Chancellor Oreilli called an aide to escort McCoy to his destination. We bid him farewell, promising to hear his report before we returned to the _Enterprise_.

Indeed, both Gamosians seemed relieved once they led us inside the capitol of Bhapteesta. The great city was laid out in a way that was aesthetically pleasing, with most of the main roads converging at the base of a Gamosian monument to peace. Business and residential dome-like structures dotted the streets. Hovercars followed specific air traffic patterns, but unlike in San Francisco, no one honked at the car in front of them. The citizens of this fair city seemed to be extremely respectful of their fellow neighbors.

We passed families walking the streets and they all waved to us in greeting. Several priests and priestesses clad in olive tunics acknowledged our presence with a bow before continuing on their way. Occasionally we came upon a newly-bonded man and woman. These couples weren't hard to miss, as the joy written upon their faces could not be easily masked. Indeed, this planet seemed to be the perfect paradise.

Passing through the marketplace, we witnessed a healthy amount of haggling between the traders and customers. Trade was what Gamus was famous for throughout the universe, and I presumed this was mostly why the Federation wished to extend an invitation to join. The planet had plenty of exotic food and beautiful, unique art pieces with which to trade. Though those were the largest markets, Gamus also had smaller specialty goods to sell, rich minerals and interesting technological devices that would keep those likeminded to Mr. Scott occupied for hours.

It wasn't long before we took a transport and arrived at the skyscraper capitol building in the center of the city. Our hosts led us into a large audience chamber, which was similar to the venue in which the United Federation of Planets housed its political debates. Jim was itching to get started, but the Gamosians reminded us that we had agreed to dine with them.

Over dinner, Jim presented his case as to why the Federation wanted Gamus to join the coalition. We took a seat across from each other, Jim next to the Ambassador, and I next to the Chancellor. Waiters and waitresses brought out course after course. I politely declined any dishes with meat, but enjoyed a feast of greens and pasta instead. Secretly, I enjoyed receiving the legendary Gamosian hospitality. Based on the meal alone, it was clear the planet was still very wealthy. Unless, of course, the Chancellor was trying to impress us with culinary delights, but I deemed that to be unlikely.

"…any benefits that the Federation would gain from your joining our league would rival those of your own." Kirk finished, then looked to me to see if I had anything to add.

"What is Gamus's position on this matter?" I politely asked the Ambassador.

"I cannot lie to you, Mr. Spock. Our society is indeed powerful and self-sufficient, but I still wish to further it. I want to extend our trading empire to the planets of the federation. That is, I wish to join your alliance of planets."

"That is indeed good news," I told him. "We will inform Starfleet of your decision." Jim gave me a smug grin. I knew he believed that he somehow influenced Oreilli's decision, but I doubted this was actually the case.

//Spock, did you see that? I didn't even need you tonight – I handled that diplomatic situation all on my own.// I could tell that I would be hearing about this 'feat' for weeks now. This fact was not at all fascinating; it was irritating.

//Do not flatter yourself, Jim.// I chided him. //The Gamosians had already made up their minds to join the Federation before we even arrived.//

//We don't know that!// He stubbornly insisted. "When you write your report, I think you should cite my influence on the Gamosians' decision as much as possible.// There were some days that I believed that captaining the _Enterprise_ helped my bondmate mature. This was not one of those days.

//I refuse to submit a false report to Starfleet simply for the inane purpose of furthering my captain's already gargantuan ego.// Our conversation came to a halt as the Chancellor's wrist communicator beeped.

"Chancellor Oreilli here."

"Chancellor, there's trouble with the workforce, sir," the voice squawked on the other end.

"Just a moment." The chancellor cleared his throat, gracing us with an apologetic smile. "I'm sorry, I have to take this." He stood up from the table and walked to the opposite corner of the room. If Chancellor Oreilli had known how well Vulcans can hear, I am certain he would've left the room. But the fact remains that he didn't.

"Lieutenant, I am entertaining honored guests. This had better be important," Oreilli muttered into his wrist.

"We have mass escapes from sector twelve and thirteen, sir. Currently, we don't have enough police to detain them before they reach-" The Chancellor cut him off.

"We will discuss the repercussions of the choices of the insurgents later," he hissed. "Do not call me, I will call you." Oreilli returned to the table, smiling as if nothing had happened. But his expression was mildly strained. Jim and I just stared at each other in disbelief. Through our bond, Jim had heard every word as I had.

//I thought he said the workforce was made of animals? But how could this be if they are able to organize a rebellion?//

//How indeed.//

Just then McCoy burst into the room. Panting heavily, he paused to catch his breath.

"Ah, there you are Bones," Jim grinned at his friend's discomfort. "You missed a great dinner-" McCoy cut him off. His eyes looked about as frightened as I'd ever seen before.

"Jim, Spock, I came to warn you about the-"

That was when we were plunged into almost total darkness. There was no buzzing sound of electrical failure, just the complete absence of artificial light and heat. I shivered. What had McCoy been about to tell us?

"Bones, what's going on?" Jim's uncertain voice rang out in the eerie silence.

"It's the workers, Jim; they're coming after you and Spock!" Automatically, I reached down to my utility belt to grab my phaser but it was not to be found. We had left them on the ship due to the no weapons policy on Gamus.

"Not to worry, gentlemen, we shall not let you come to any harm," Ambassador Worryn promised. "We've dealt with their kind before." I heard the charging of two weapons in the room and assumed they belonged to both Gamosians.

"Wait, I thought weapons were banned here," said Jim, voicing my confusion as his own.

"They are," the chancellor insisted. "But there is always a price to pay for paradise. I always like to be prepared."

//Hey, Spock, I don't feel so good…// Jim projected his thoughts at me, and I felt his wooziness through the bond. But when I attempted to shield such a reaction in myself, I found that I could not.

//I too feel rather disoriented.// I couldn't understand what was causing such a strange reaction in both myself and Jim. I couldn't tell if anyone else in the room was affected, as it was just too dark. Suddenly, the doors burst open and we were showered with phaser fire.

//Get down, Jim!// We both dove for the floor and crawled underneath the long table. I pulled Jim's rapidly weakening form into my lap, and shouted over the din for Dr. McCoy.

//Spock, I think I'm gonna…//

Sure enough, Jim passed out on me. I was frightened for him, but as our bond remained intact, I knew he wasn't in any real danger. The danger would come if I succumbed to sleep, for unless McCoy stayed out of sight, there would be no one left to protect Jim. It was taking too much of my strength to stay awake, but I fought it as long as I could. _Jim! Must…stay…awake…for you._ I had a fleeting thought that we may have fallen victim to an odorless drug before I joined Jim in the world of the unconscious.

End Ch. 1

A/N: Questions, comments, concerns? Let me know!


	3. Stark Reality

Disclaimer: Star Trek belongs to Gene Roddenberry. The movie rights belong to JJ Abrams and Paramount.

A/N: Thanks to all my reviewers!! I love all of your feedback. Yes, this is somewhat of a social commentary. Like I said, this is something like I've never done before. The Gamosian society was created by my sister and I, but it really was mostly her idea. She wrote the part with the young Gamosians explaining why Kirk, Spock, and McCoy were kidnapped. I wrote the rest, mostly h/c fluff 'n stuff. It was a combined effort, and I hope the voice turns out alright. And here we go!

Ch. 2: Stark Reality

_(Kirk POV)_

I was awakened by the chill in the damp atmosphere. _Whoa, what just happened_? Slowly I felt consciousness returning. My first coherent thought, naturally, was of Spock. Hopefully I would still be able to communicate telepathically.

//Spock, are you all right? What's going on?// Thankfully, my bondmate responded.

//Jim, I believe the Gamosian refreshments we ingested were laced with a compound that had the effect of temporarily inhibiting our normal brain and body functions. At the present moment, I am unable to ascertain either our location or the reason for our being abducted.//

_In other words, we had been drugged._ I groaned. Immediately I felt all my senses go on red alert, the captain in me taking over. A surge of adrenaline shot through my veins, making me twitch slightly with the effort to restrain myself from leaping to my feet. _Hold up, Jim. If there's one thing you've learned from your time in the Captain's chair, it's to look before you leap. _I felt a spongy, soil-like substance under my body. I also noted that the air was cool and damp. _Were we underground? _At least our captors hadn't tied us up or stripped us of our clothes. I was still wearing my Starfleet regulation dress uniform, but after feeling around my utility belt, I found I was without a phaser or communicator. _Damn_.

I took a slow, deep breath, feeling out different parts of my body, checking to see if I had sustained any damage from the drug. Nothing hurt, which was a good sign. If our abductors us had wanted to cause us harm, they certainly could have done so while we lay unconscious. This led me to believe they had a less hostile reason for kidnapping us.

Cautiously, I opened my eyes. I found myself in a small, dimly lit space, in what appeared to be some sort of cave. Spock was lying next to me in a meditative pose, while Bones was on my other side, cursing softly as he regained consciousness as well. Immediately, I began formulating escape plans, but before I could share them, a door in the cave wall opened directly in front of me. I watched, apprehensive as five Gamosians stepped through. Four of them, two men and two women, looked to be in the prime of their lifespan, while the fifth was obviously an elder. He seemed to be almost unaware of his surroundings, and his eyes had a dumb vacancy about them that sent chills down my spine. I sat up, determined to face our unknown captors in a stronger position. My head swam, but I managed to shake off the last of my dizziness. I hated appearing this vulnerable in front of complete strangers, but at least I had my wits and my two best friends with me. For now…

"Captain Kirk, First Officer Spock, Doctor McCoy, we apologize for the intrusion into your lives, but it was necessary to get your attention. We would not have been able to speak with you any other way. Please, listen to us." One of the two younger males spoke, sounding desperate. His tired eyes connected with mine, and I knew then that they meant us no harm.

"Damn right it was an intrusion. What is the meaning of all this?" McCoy scowled. I glared at him for speaking out of turn.

"Bones, let me handle this," I hissed.

"Fine," he grumbled, crossing his arms across his chest. I turned my attention back to our captors.

"Of course we will listen to you," I insisted in what I hoped was a comforting tone. "What can we do for you, gentlemen, ladies?" _Not that we had any choice, but hey, it never hurts to appear in control of the situation._

"Thank you, Captain. This is Sapphia and Elennya," he said, motioning to the two women. They bowed. "The man at my side is called Maathu, the elder is named Samm, and I am Harvvi. Again, we are sorry for the way you were brought here." The apology seemed genuine enough for me. "We hope you are not hurt." He bowed at my feet before I told him such an action was not necessary.

"We'll live," I assured him. "Now, what is it you need my help with?"

"Captain Kirk, we have heard of your accomplishments even here on Gamus," said Harvvi. "If you are the noble hero the media says you are, you _must_ help us. You are the only chance we have." The diplomatic tone in the young Gamosian's voice broke, spiraling upward on the last sentence.

"Please explain," Spock interjected." The female called Sapphia with the fuchsia hair nodded and spoke in a low, clear voice.

"The Overlords lied to you about the economic and social hierarchy on Gamus." I frowned.

"Overlords? We spoke with your Chancellor - I was under the impression this was democracy. I thought there was no hierarchy on Gamus?" Clearly, I was missing something. "Isn't that what allows your culture thrive?"

"The reason our society is so peaceful and so...so, economically _lucrative_", Harvvi spat out the word, "is because the Overlords have stunted the growth of a minority of us in order to produce such wealth and order for the majority. About two in every ten Gamosians are born with an attraction to members of the same gender, instead of members of the opposite gender. It was originally believed this was for evolutionary purposes, so our planet would not be overpopulated. That way, every Gamosian would have the chance to form the marriage bond we need in order to function properly past early adulthood. "

I glanced at Spock, who calmly sat at attention. He appeared to be unaffected by this horrifying story. But through our bond, I could feel he was just as appalled as I was as the perverse nature of this society was slowly revealed to us.

"Our society was once a simple agrarian one, and we truly did live in peace. Marriage bonds were allowed between couples of the opposite gender as well as couples with the same gender. But about a century ago, our leaders became dissatisfied with our slow technological progress and decided we needed to develop more quickly, no matter cost. Consumed by their greed, they corrupted many of our high priests and priestesses. In turn, they began spreading lies, telling the populace that beings born with an innate attraction to those of the same gender were subhuman. They insisted that our marriages are a twisted perversion of the normal bonding function, and that we needed to be "cleansed" before we infected the rest of the population with our abnormality. The Overlords caused food shortages, and out of fear, our people reacted with hostility to those they had once called neighbors. After that, any adolescent showing signs of same-sex attraction was immediately taken from their homes into the cleansing facility, and never seen by their families again."

"_Shit…" I struggled to process all this, my mind reeling from this revelation. _I had to fix this somehow, Prime Directive be damned. There was no way I could allow this to continue… I just needed to contact Starfleet and then I could-

"There's more," Elennya injected. "Once in the cleansing facilities, young Gamosians undergo forms of brutal conditioning to turn them into docile, menial laborers. This provides the service force the Overlords needed to jumpstart our development as a trading and technological power to be reckoned with. With the basic jobs fulfilled by us, this allows the rest of our population to enjoy occupations where they can express their creativity and increase their wealth, power, and influence through the universal trade networks. We recognize that this development has benefited the Gamosians in some ways, but protest the high cost. You see, we are kept in total isolation from our peers throughout our ten year window for bonding, in order to prevent us from forming a marriage bond. As a result, when no bond has taken place after ten years following the completion of adolescence, our entire system begins to shut down, physically, mentally, emotionally, and spiritually." She whispered that last part, as if ashamed of the fact.

I shared a look of disbelief with Bones. A slow, angry burn began to burden the pit of my stomach. How long had this gone on? And what could we do to stop it?

"If we are not bonded during the ten year period, our very enjoyment of life diminishes," Maathu took over. "We know longer appreciate the taste of food, or think to clean ourselves. An intellect that was once yearning to know, to create, and to discover loses its questing nature. Emotional passion turns to numb emptiness. We lose all sense of the _meaning_ of being alive, and we don't even care what happens to us. Self-consciousness disappears completely over time, and we become as dumb and unaware as the beasts they accuse us of being. We exist only to eat, sleep, and physically mate. After the range for bonding is over, our physiology undergoes a change such that anything deeper is denied us. It is then the Overlords do their dirty work, conditioning us to their ends, using methods developed by the MM."

"The MM?" I questioned.

"Mind Manipulators. They are part of the secret police," Maathu elaborated. This triggered a memory of the time Spock and I were captured and flogged by the "Nazis" on the planet Ekos, just because we didn't look like the locals. As I recalled from 20th century Earth history, the Nazi Party had a faction called the SS who were used to carry out the worst of Hitler's evil deeds. Much like the MM on Gamus. I shuddered, realizing just how serious our situation was.

"What do the rest of your people think of this? Surely they are not aware of your existence." Spock cut in. Maathu answered him.

"The Overlords do their best to cover up the reality of the situation, but there are signs. Our family members are the biggest problem they have. Many parents have a hard time believing there are so many fatal "accidents" that happen, which is what the Overlords tell them when one of us is taken away for cleansing. There are hints that something sinister is happening, but except for a brave few, most people look the other way. They are confused and frightened by the priests' and priestesses' lies, and don't want to risk either their own necks, or their newfound wealth and prosperity.

"We have tried to open their eyes with public demonstrations, like the riot we caused as a distraction so we could get to you, but unfortunately many people refuse to believe there is anything wrong with our societal makeup. The Overlords use our rebellion as a scapegoat for the adolescent disappearances, making the populace hate and fear us even more. We are seen as monsters, a combination of terrorist and bogeyman, of evil Gamosians and beastly workers 'gone feral'."

"That is most illogical," Spock commented, and I could feel his revulsion at the Gamosian society through our mind link. Bones and I fervently agreed with him. Maathu nodded.

"I am one of the lucky ones- my mother found out what had happened to me and rescued me while I was in my second year of isolation. She used to work directly under the Overloads, capturing lamori and sending them into isolation."

"Lamori?" I asked, confused. The word was foreign to me, but somehow I knew Spock would figure it out. Vulcans were just handy like that.

"I believe the antiquated Earth translation is homosexual," Spock supplied, out loud for Bones's benefit. Maathu and Harvvi, as well as Sapphia and Elennya confirmed that they were indeed lamori, same sex couples who bonded for life.

"Pardon me for asking, but why didn't your mother rescue you right away?" Bones inquired.

"They kept my capture a secret from her, but after she realized that I was not dead as she had previously believed, she used her access to the main computer banks to locate my cell," Matthu explained. "Together, we staged many guerilla attacks on the Overlords, and have since rescued fifty-three of us from the cleansing facilities, in various states of psychological damage."

Bones looked rather queasy at this, as he knew of all of the medical complications that could arise from being kept under those harsh conditions.

"The longer we spend in isolation, the deeper the wounds we sustain," Sapphia elaborated. "Those we have rescued have all managed to bond with another. This act is responsible for their remarkable recovery. We have tried to help the elders as well, like poor Samm here, but their wounds are beyond our capacity to heal. We hoped, with your advanced medical technology and knowledge of many life forms, that you might be able to find some way to bring our elder brothers and sisters back to consciousness."

This last line was said with a pleading look at McCoy, who threw his hands up, as if to say "Don't bring me into this."

I turned to face my friend anyway. "Bones, do you know of any healing techniques that could do such a thing?"

The doctor gave a weary sigh. "I'm a doctor, not a mind-healer! However, I do know of a few medical treatments that could make a difference. I would want to check my memory with the ship's computers first, though. Mucking around inside a mind when you don't know what you're doing could cause even more damage."

I nodded my head in agreement. That's when I had my brilliant beyond brilliant idea. James T. Kirk doesn't have some of the highest aptitude test scores in all of Starfleet for nothing. //Spock, would you be willing to mind-meld with Samm?//

_If there was one person I trusted to handle a wounded mind/spirit carefully, and to know his own limits in doing so, it was Spock. But the backlash from the emotional transference would not be pleasant. Did I really have any right in asking this of him?_

//Of course, Jim.// Spock assured me. //It is logical that we find out as much as we can about his state of mind, in order to best ascertain how to help heal him. I am prepared to experience the effects of such a procedure.//

_How I love those Vulcan sensibilities of his,_ I thought._ He probably never even considered saying no, despite the pain I know it will cause him._ //Thank you, T'hy'la.//

//There is no need to thank me, Jim.// He moved a little closer to me, and we touched fingertips behind our backs. Mmm, I could never tire of Vulcan kisses. They were hot! What a jolt to the senses…

Unfortunately, Spock removed his fingers and then turned to face the Gamosians. "As a Vulcan, I have an innate ability to assess the mental and emotional state of other beings. With your permission, I will join minds with Sam to analyze his. It will increase the odds of our being able to cure him."

"Whatever you think will help, please do it," Harvvi begged. "Despite having abducted you, we now put ourselves at your mercy, in hopes that you will do your best to help us. If you cannot or will not, we understand—we will not force you. We just had to try." The young male Gamosian spokesperson bowed to the Starfleet officers.

At their assent, Spock gently led the elderly Gamosian a little ways away from the group. Spock then placed his elegant Vulcan fingers on Samm's meldpoints, closed his eyes, and became very still. At the same time I noticed could no longer sense his presence in the back of my mind. While it was disconcerting not to be able to feel my bondmate, I appreciated his shielding me out. It would not do for the captain to appear to be anything less than fully alert, as a meld of more than two minds could be catastrophic to those without the proper training, none of which I've had.

"We will need our communicators in order to verify Doctor McCoy's mind-healing knowledge with the ship's computers," I thought aloud, peeling my eyes away from Spock. _And,_ I thought silently, _to check in with the crew._ I didn't think the Gamosians would have attacked our ship, since they couldn't possibly know we had been persuaded, or even informed, of their duplicity. I wasn't sure exactly why I believed the rebels with such overwhelming certainty. Perhaps it was the desperation in the young man's tone, or the fact that his horror story came perilously close to my own worst nightmares. His explanation, as much as I did not want to believe it possible, coincided to what we had seen of Gamosian society. The seeming paradise of their culture was just a facade, with a subtle undercurrent of uneasiness and dark dealings.

Having Spock meld with Samm would give us some assurance of their honesty, and their deliverance of our communicators would solidify those assurances. With the ability to communicate with and beam up to our ship whenever necessary, the rebels would truly be at our mercy.

Wordlessly, one of the female Gamosians reached into the folds of her robe, withdrew two communicators, and handed them to me. Bones closed his hand over top of my own in mid-reach. "Jim, you need to be there when Spock returns to consciousness." His glaring dark eyes caught mine. "I will give Uhura of the particulars of our situation before I search for my medical information. You can contact the ship after you take care of our First Officer."

I smiled gratefully at him. "Thanks, Bones. Tell Uhura to send a message to Starfleet including our revelation concerning the prosperous Gamosian culture. Let them know that I recommend denying them Federation status until a few things are…changed."

Bones flashed me his lopsided smile. "I like your choice of words, as they're exactly my feelings on the subject. I say tell the Prime Directive to go to hell in this situation - these people need our help."

Confident that Bones would handle communications, I turned to where Spock and Samm were still sitting, locked in the meld. Suddenly, Spock slumped forward, panting softly. Samm just stood there, unaffected by the meld.

//Spock!// No answer, just a flicker of despair. Not good… Not caring what our guests would think, I pulled my bondmate's shaking form into my arms, and tried to calm him. I noticed that his usual Vulcan warmth was absent – instead, he was freezing! I dimly wondered if he was going into shock as I tried to reach him in my mind.

//Spock , come on, let me in…// I urged.

//Jim… it hurts.// His response was barely a whisper. I knew then that as mentally exhausted as he was, he was still shielding me.

//Spock, I can handle it. Please!//

His shields crumbled as he acquiesced to my request. Suddenly, I was slammed by with images and feelings as Spock shared his meld with Samm. This Gamosian was one of the lamori, and he had been bonded to another male. They had made their home in a secret cave, each day crippled by the fear that they would be discovered. Their life was a simple one, as they lived only on the food and drink that could be scavenged or stolen. One day, their fear of being discovered came true. I watched helplessly as Samm's mate was dragged away by the Mind-Manipulators to be tortured. The MM captured Samm as well, and they forced him to watch as his mate was stripped of his memories via brutal mind torture. Helpless with rage, Samm struggled against his bonds, fighting to get to his mate. But his struggles were in vain; he had no means of preventing this atrocity.

When the Mind-Manipulators had finished with his mate, he had no recollection of Samm or their life together. I felt Samm's horror, sadness, and finally despair when he realized it was hopeless. Then it was Samm's turn to be cleansed, but he didn't fight the MM. What did it matter if his mind was wiped of all he knew, now that his other half was gone forever?

The images stopped as abruptly as they had started. Now I knew only Spock. His emotions continued to flair even as he struggled to suppress them. I hadn't felt him lose control like this since the loss of his mother and the destruction of Vulcan.

//Jim, you cannot let this happen to us.// Spock continued to tremble in my arms. I gently rocked him back and forth, pressing my forehead to his.

//Spock, I would_ never _let that happen to you. I'd rather die first than allow you to be mentally tortured.// I promised him that, but even James T. Kirk, Mr. Awesome himself, could offer no guarantees.

//There is no logic behind these cruel acts.// Spock's logic was of no use in this situation, which made it so much harder for him to deal with Samm's memories. //I cannot make sense of this rationally.//

There was nothing I could say to that. _Who ever said the Gamosians were logical?_ Instead, I infused him with my warmth, pleading for him to grasp hold of it and soak it up. As much as I desperately wished to help the young Gamosians, Spock was my first priority. I needed to address his shock, as he was still shaking, although the tremors had diminished somewhat.

//Spock, we'll help them.// I assured him. //We'll make sure that this never happens again. You _know_ I can't allow this to go on.// But that still did not pacify him.

//Jim, I cannot hold the meld for much longer!//

//Then, don't. Just when we come out of it, let me take care of you.// I insisted. //I think you've gone into Vulcan shock.// I felt a twinkle of amusement.

//I do not believe that condition exists.// He was joking. Good.

//Maybe not, but you're not well. If you don't let me take care of you, I can always turn you over to Bones…// I knew that would do it. Spock never let the doctor treat him if he could help it.

//Very well. You may proceed.// I broke the meld slowly, allowing Spock to orient himself. Once he opened his eyes, I turned my head towards the Gamosians.

"I felt it, saw it - all of it. Your situation is…" my voice broke. _Get a grip, Jim. You've got to be the strong one since Spock can't right now. _"I can't imagine being torn from my mate. I swear that Starfleet will assist you and your brothers and sisters in regaining your freedoms."

Spock lay still in my arms, and the Gamosians noticed as I entwined his fingers with mine in a comforting gesture. It wasn't quite a Vulcan kiss, but it was close. We had our own variations on the kiss. There was the traditional public touching of fingertips, which we displayed when appropriate. We also liked to curl our two forefingers around each other's. Other times I would stick one of my fingers all the way between his two – he loved that, something about the contact on the back of his hand. Spock's hands were only one of his erogenous zones, but I treated them with as much care as the others. I had a strange fascination with Spock's long, limber digits and I found plenty of uses for them when we-

One of the Gamosians spoke up, conveniently breaking my train of thought.

"You… he…?" Harvvi trailed off, looking from me to Spock, and back to me again. "Are you?" The question was written across his face.

"Affirmative," Spock said weakly. "He is my bondmate." The lamori stared at us in confusion.

"I did not know lamori existed in other cultures. We will keep your secret, Captain Kirk." I shook my head.

"It's not a secret. Starfleet has no problem with couples of the same sex, or even couples of different species. We aren't treated any differently than couples of the opposite sex. It's pretty awesome." Harvvi, Maathu, Sapphia, and Elennya just stared at each other, overjoyed that beings such as themselves would be allowed to live together under Federation law. They never knew that worlds existed where lamori didn't have to live in secret, that they would be given the same rights as the rest of the population.

"How fortunate it was that we found the two of you," Harvvi said, his expression solemn. "No wonder you are sympathetic to our plight." I nodded.

"I couldn't imagine being separated from Spock." My Vulcan squeezed my fingers a little tighter at that. "But if I was, I would still be able to live. But you… that literally kills you!"

"We do not die, but yes, it kills our spirit," Elennya reaffirmed, scooting a little closer to Sapphia who silently grasped her hand.

"That's a fate worse than death that _no one_ should ever have to endure," I proclaimed. "Don't worry, all of you. Starfleet will assist you."

"How can you know that for sure?" Maathu asked, his eyes glinting with suspicion.

"I can't," I admitted. "But if I have anything to say about it, your Overlords are going _down_."

End Ch. 2

A/N: Thanks for your patience! I'm working at a camp right now, but I still managed to find time to sneak away and post this. Let me know what you thought of this chapter since both my sister and I wrote it. I'm sure we need help blending writing styles. Any suggestions?


	4. Overlords

Disclaimer: Star Trek belongs to Gene Roddenberry. The movie rights belong to J.J. Abrams and Paramount. Thanks to Zachary Quinto and Chris Pine for inspiring me to write about the young versions of Spock and Kirk!

A/N: Once again, my sister wrote some of this chapter. If you see a paragraph full of awesome descriptions, it's hers.

_Mission to Gamus_

Ch. 3: Overlords

(Spock POV)

While Jim continued to plan with the lamori about how to expose the truth behind Gamus's utopian society, I tried to regain control of my emotions. Jim remained close by, as he could feel how much I was still suffering through our mind link. It was difficult to separate Samm's memories from my own fears that Jim would be taken away from me, but I continued to make an attempt to do so.

"Captain Kirk, we apologize for any adverse effects sharing minds with Samm had on your bondmate." Harvvi spoke for all of the lamori. Jim waved him off.

"He knew the risks before he initiated the meld. But thanks. He'll be alright."

//Spock, are you sure you don't need Bones to take a look at you?//

I glanced over at Dr. McCoy, who was still grumbling away on his communicator. From the looks of it, he was having an important conversation with Uhura concerning medical mind-healing techniques. I didn't wish to disturb him. There was also the fact that I avoided McCoy's treatments like the plague. Most of the members of the Enterprise crew believe this is because I do not like the doctor. However, my personal choice to often refuse treatment was not a reflection on his abilities as a physician. Not much was known about the physiology of Vulcan-human hybrids, therefore unless I was critically injured or ill, it was only logical that I evade McCoy's treatment.

//I am fine, Jim. I am quite capable of recovering from emotional trauma.//

"He doesn't look alright," Harvvi fretted, glancing over at my pale, shaking form. "Please, let us help make him more comfortable at least. We have a stash of blankets not too far down in one of the smaller caves-"

"That would be great," Jim cut in. Harvvi gave him a quick bow before grabbing Maathu and heading down the tunnel. I knew Jim meant well, but did he really have to let them fawn over me? Vulcans do not receive special treatment when they are emotionally compromised.

//Jim, you are aware that I do not require a blanket. Luxuries are not necessary for Vulcans to-//

//I know that.// Jim interrupted, turning his full attention back to me. //But it made him feel less guilty about your condition, so I figured, why not? Besides, the cave temperature is chillier than what you're used to.//

//That is correct.// I admitted.

//I'll have you know that my bondmate is getting all the luxuries at our disposal so he can make a quick recovery.// He ran his fingers through my hair in an attempt to distract me from the extraneous dark thoughts swirling around in my brain.

//Jim, you are overly sentimental.// He just shook his head.

//Love you too, Spock.// Harvvi and his mate returned a few minutes later, carrying two blankets and even a few pillows.

"First Officer Spock, we apologize for any inconvenience we may have caused you," said Sapphia as the males distributed the pillows and blankets.

"My sacrifice is little compared to what you have endured," I insisted as Jim wrapped me up in the woolen blankets. "Do not concern yourselves with my discomfort, as it could not be avoided." My chills gradually subsided, although I was still cold. I tried to block Samm's memories from my mind but I was having trouble concentrating properly. The gamosian's agony of losing his bondmate would just not disappear, no matter how hard I tried to purge the feeling from my conscious mind.

The lamori whispered among themselves as Jim sat with me. I could hear snippets of their conversation, mainly about how grateful they were that someone understood their plight and would help them take action. Why hadn't the Federation discovered the truth about Gamosian society sooner? These people shouldn't have had to suffer for this long! The more I dwelt on the fact, the more ill I felt…

"Spock, you don't look so hot." I noted the concern in Jim's voice as he addressed me. My eyes were tightly closed, my breathing shallow. I didn't even make a comment on the fact that my body temperature was no higher than normal. That's when Jim knew how seriously the meld with Samm had affected me.

//Can you heal yourself?// Jim wanted to know.

//A full healing trance would take several weeks to complete.// He frowned.

//What about a light trance?//

//I can attempt it. However, I do not wish to leave you unprotected.// Jim chuckled.

//These lamori wouldn't hurt a fly. I'll be fine.//

//I was not referring to the lamori. There may be other dangers on this planet that we are not aware of.//

//Spock, I_ can_ defend myself ya know. All those bar fights back in Iowa were actually good for something.//

//Very well.// I relented. //But I will not shield the bond. Your presence allows me to concentrate better.//

//Funny, most people think the opposite.// Jim never did know how to receive a compliment.

//Most people are not your bondmate.//

A surge of affection pulsed through our bond, and it warmed me more than the blankets did. Kicking off the blankets, I scooted closer to the damp cave wall. It was time to prepare myself for deep mind-healing, as I had to call on the ancient Vulcan techniques my father taught me.

I sat with my back against the wall, crossing my legs and resting my hands on my knees in a meditative pose. Jim watched with interest. He has told me many times that he believes this pose to be rather 'sexy'. I do not understand why, as meditation is a necessary practice for all Vulcans so that we can keep our emotions in check. It has absolutely nothing to do with mating practices, but that's Jim for you.

Most humans know little about the Vulcan seventh sense and our experiences during meditation. Over the years, Jim has come to appreciate it, just as he has come to appreciate our telepathic sixth sense. However, he has displayed a much higher aptitude for telepathy. All of his meditation attempts were failures, and he became so frustrated with his inability to focus that he just gave up entirely. Jim often envied me for my calm state of mind, just as I envied his ability to think of unorthodox solutions when faced with adversity. We were very different beings, but when our minds were in tune, we were an unbeatable team.

One of the female lamori called Jim away to ask him about the merits of joining Starfleet, and I took that as my cue to begin to initiate a trance.

As I focused on deepening my breathing, my awareness of my bodily discomfort, of the cave, and all that was connecting me to the present physical reality faded away. Likewise, I slipped the well-honed tool of my intellect into its sheath. I surrendered myself to my seventh sense, an innate deep and natural sense of oneness with all there is. Thought as we know it, with all its limitations, ceased. I was the cave, I was the stars, I was the lamori and the Gamosians together, every speck of matter and antimatter. To use a Terran metaphor, I was no longer just a tiny droplet of water, but the entire ocean, aware of itself and delighting in the fact_. I am limitless…_ The ocean was both changeless and ever-changing, outside of time as time is just another of its myriad manifestations. While it held the potential for patterns of destruction and lower forms of particle interaction, it also held the potential for creation. The logic of forgiveness was one of creation's most powerful forms, and I recognized said energy pattern and recreated it within me. I wove it gently, mathematically into my mind, laying a rudimentary foundation for healing upon which time would complete.

While inside the trance, I was still vaguely aware of what was happening around me. My sharp olfactory senses allowed me to hear voices of those near me. Jim was speaking with Mr. Scott via communicator, and from the sound of it, our Chief Engineer sounded rather frantic.

"Captain, there's a malfunction with the transporter! I'm afraid I can only bring ye in one at time!" His Scottish brogue always increased when he was stressed. The malfunction must be serious if the mild-mannered engineer was this worried.

"Alright, Scotty. Bones, you go first," Jim ordered.

"Dammit, Jim!" I could only imagine the weight of the doctor's glare. "What about Spock? Shouldn't he be your number one priority?"

"He's already healing himself, he'll be fine," Jim assured him. "The _Enterprise_ needs her CMO. And I need you to continue that research about mind healing." He lowered his voice to a whisper. "These people need all the help they can get. When Spock arrives on the ship, I want you to contact Starfleet and use Spock as proof of the situation on Gamus. Thanks to the meld, he can explain exactly how things work on this backward planet." After a bit more arguing, McCoy consented and I no longer felt his presence in the cave.

"Scotty, I want you to beam Spock up next," Jim ordered. No answer. "Scotty?"

"Excuse me, Captain." I wasn't about to leave Jim here alone, so I broke the trance and sat up.

"I cannot allow that to happen, Captain." Jim jumped, as if startled. He glanced at me, his blue eyes full of guilt.

"Spock, I thought you were supposed to be in the middle of your trance."

"I deemed it necessary to break my trance for the time being. I believe I have a say in where and when I am transported." Jim glared at me.

"Don't make me pull rank on you, because I certainly can. I'm doing this for your own safety." I matched his glare with my own. It was not apparent to anyone else in the room besides Jim.

"Jim, I cannot just leave you here alone in this situation." I stared at him, my eyes pleading with him to let me stay behind for once. After what I had just experienced, leaving Jim alone on a strange planet was a scenario I would rather avoid.

//Spock, you are being overly sentimental.// Jim flung my earlier words back at me. I hate it when he does that.

"Scotty, lock in on Spock's coordinates. Beam him up the first chance you get."

//Jim…I cannot help but hold this against you. // His irritation at me was evident.

//Spock.. I look forward to any punishments you wish to deal out later. Stop worrying! I'll be along in a minute.//

"Captain, I cannae beam up anyone else!" Scotty's frantic voice squawked from the communicator. "After Dr. McCoy left the pad, the circuits themselves were fried by an unknown power source!"

"How long until you can fix the transporter?" Jim wanted to know.

"Maybe a day or so…" the engineer estimated.

"A day?" Jim cried. "Scotty, that's not good enough! Spock and I are in a bit of a situation right now and we need to return to the ship as soon as possible." I thought I heard Scotty gulp.

"A… Vulcan biological situation, Captain? Do we need to divert to New Vulcan? If that's what you two need, I can have Uhura contact Starfleet and-" Jim groaned.

"No! Why does everyone always think that? It only happens every seven years!"

"I apologize, Captain," came Scotty's sheepish voice.

"Don't worry about it," Jim assured him. I could tell he was trying very hard not to laugh at Mr. Scott's earlier illogical statement. "We're just in a little danger by staying where we are. The Chancellor will not be pleased when he learns of our talks with the so-called lower class. I'd rather avoid a diplomatic fiasco if at all possible, thanks."

"We'll get on it right away, Captain. Scott out." Jim snapped his communicator shut and turned to me.

"It looks like we're both stuck here." I was about to give him a witty response when Elennya approached us. Her expression was tense, her long fuchsia hair in disarray.

"Captain, our informant just told us that the overlords are heading this way."

"Good, I want to talk to them," Jim said grimly.

"No, we must hide!"

"Come, Elennya!" Sapphia called from across the cave. But Jim and I held our ground.

"There is no logic in hiding from those who will no longer have power over you." I pointed out. "We will not allow your treatment to continue."

"And Starfleet will back us up," Jim chimed in. "As soon as they're convinced of what's going on…" He mumbled that last part under his breath. The four lamori glanced at each other. Harvvi nodded, and so did Maathu and Elennya. Sapphia took a little more coaxing to convince, but she too finally agreed.

"Captain, we will trust you," Harvvi declared. We listened for their arrival, and soon faint footsteps could be heard. They grew closer, and Sapphia reached for Elennya's hand.

//Spock, this had better go well because if it doesn't, I'm responsible.// Jim was worried.

//It was the only logical choice, Jim.// The footsteps grew louder, and Jim pulled me away just in time from the 'doorway' in the cave wall. The same Gamosian representatives that we'd met earlier entered the lamori's secret meeting place. Chancellor Oreilli and Ambassador Worryn did not come alone. A faction of security sporting strange apparatuses on their heads accompanied them. Judging by the horrified reactions of the lamori upon their appearance, I suspected these were the dreaded MM.

"What is the meaning of this?" Oreilli exclaimed. He glanced around the room to spy Jim and I watching patiently to see what he would do. His gaze finally landed on the five lamori, and he graced them with his coldest glare. Harvvi, Maathu, Sapphia and Elennya defiantly stared him down. Samm maintained his lost expression, as usual. "Captain Kirk and his first officer are our esteemed guests!"

"We just wanted to speak to them about our situation," Harvvi insisted. "This was the only way." The chancellor shook his head.

"They are not to be kidnapped and treated as prisoners by you… you filth! You did not have permission to speak with the offworlders. Why, I should-"

"Hey," Jim butted in before the chancellor could finish. "Watch who you're calling filth! These people have suffered their whole lives, thanks to the likes of you and the constraints of your society. You owe them some respect at the very least!"

"There's no need to get angry, Captain," Ambassador Worryn interjected. "These people have clearly manipulated you."

"What Harvvi speaks the truth," I informed them. "They did not harm us. All they wanted was to ask for our help."

"Captain, these unfortunates have misguided you," said the chancellor. "They have told you many lies to further their own ambitions. We have seen it before."

"That statement is incorrect." I stared at the chancellor, my expression unreadable. After all, I was just relaying facts. "They have told no lies. I have melded my mind with one of your lamori elders. I have felt his pain from watching his mate be tortured by your Mind Manipulators and their bond shattered. The crimes you have committed against them are inexcusable."

"Starfleet will not stand for it," Jim added. "If you are to join the Federation, changes in your society must be made." The two Gamosian leaders exchanged a look.

"I did not wish for Federation representatives to find out this way," Worryn sighed. "But we admit it. It is all true, but necessary for our society to survive. Lamori bonds are unworthy of the same significance as those between a male and female. It is simply not natural for those of the same sex to form a marriage bond."

"Not natural?" Jim growled.

//Jim… do not say anything you will regret.//

//Spock, no offense, but I really don't give a shit what I say right now.//

"Yes, Captain, unnatural," answered the ambassador. "The union between husband and wife is held sacred among out people."

"It is imperative for bearing children, thus continuing our population," added the chancellor.

"Just so you know, in Starfleet, and in fact in all Federation worlds we see absolutely nothing wrong with unions between members of the same sex, or even members of different species." Jim informed him.

"That is wrong," Oreilli stated flatly. "That is not how we do things on Gamus. It is against our religion, and besides, our society functions well as is. We believe that the needs of the many outweigh the needs of the few." Jim's hands were balling into fists and I was afraid he was going to punch the chancellor. But, he didn't.

//Spock, I have to tell them.// I felt his frustration through the bond.

//Jim, please keep silent! They will not understand…//

//I gotta try, Spock.// I relented. As Starfleet officers, we had protection in name on most civilized systems. The punishment for harming an officer was one month was severe. Hardly anyone would dare to accost us, and the chances that the Gamosians would were slim.

"Chancellor, Ambassador, what would you say if I told you that I was bonded to Spock?"

"Pardon me?" The chancellor laughed nervously. "Your joke is not funny, Captain."

"It's not a joke," Jim growled, taking my hand in his. "In fact, it's the furthest thing from a joke. Spock and I are bonded by Vulcan law, as well as in Terran matrimony. He is my mate, and I am not ashamed to say it. Our marriage is protected by rights granted to us by the Federation." All of the Gamosians minus the lamori stared at us with absolute revulsion.

"Mr. Spock, is this true?" Worryn had to ask.

"It is. We have been bonded for five years now," I informed them with just a touch of smugness. "I could not ask for a better mate."

"No…no…that's…ugh…" Worryn shuddered and turned back to the chancellor. "What do we do now?"

"What we always do – we keep it quiet. If the Federation allows and celebrates such bonds, then they must not know the truth about our society," Oreilli stated. "Take them to be cleansed."

"What?" The four lamori shouted in protest, but they were quickly detained.

"Let them go," Jim ordered. I backed him up.

"Starfleet will not stand for-" That was when Oreilli gave the signal and we were suddenly approached by ten very imposing looking Gamosians.

"Woah, you wouldn't do this to _us_?" Jim cried as the MM surrounded us. "You know the punishment for harming a Starfleet officer. You'd be stripped of your titles for sure! Besides, Dr. McCoy has already been beamed up to the _Enterprise_. He knows the truth, so there's no reason to torture us!"

"This is why we have knocked out all of your long range communications." We were met by Worryn's most unpleasant sneer.

"What?" Jim blanched at that.

"You will not be able to contact Starfleet until we come to an agreement. If we do not torture you, you will inform Starfleet that Gamus is a suitable candidate for federation status, leaving our any irrelevant details of your visit here. If you do not agree, then you will have to be cleansed." Oreilli looked rather pleased with himself.

"We're not going along with your little agreement, you sick bastard!" Jim spat.

"I express the same sentiments," I added. "We will not cooperate in such a fashion."

"I thought you might say that," the chancellor mused, turning to Jim. "I imagine your disposition will be much improved after your stay in the Chamber." Jim glanced at me, and I felt his fear radiating through our link. He was not afraid for himself, but for what would happen to me and our bond if he was severely tortured.

I knew that the possibility of our capture by the overlords had never really occurred to Jim, or else he wouldn't have spoken up about our bond. It hadn't really occurred to me either, although I did briefly consider it. At the time I did not believe that the Gamosian leaders – or were they overlords - would have any motivation to harm members of Starfleet. I knew that Jim had meant well, that he only wanted to help the case of the lamori, but thanks to his emotional revelation he had put us in real danger. While Vulcans could withstand mind torture with the help of our techniques, I didn't know how long Jim could last. In my short lifespan, I had never encountered any technology that could break a Vulcan bond, but what if the Gamosians had discovered such a thing? What would I do if they severed my bond with Jim and he lost all memory of us?

"Take them to be cleansed!" Oreilli ordered.

//Don't worry, Spock. We got this.// Jim's confident thoughts helped as we were manhandled by the MM. //They can't beat our telepathy.//

//I hope you are correct, t'hy'la.//

As the MM dragged us away to the Chamber, I wondered if Samm's painful memories of having to watch his bondmate be tortured would soon become my own. Only time would tell…

End Ch. 3

Spock's side note: While logic is the viewpoint through which Vulcan children are taught to view and conduct such a healing, there are others channels by which the same end can be reached, and had I time, I would have explored them. Humans practice some of them, whether you know it or not. In my time spent with Jim, I have come to realize that emotion is just the opposite side of the same coin as logic, neither higher nor lower a form of energy, simply a different manifestation of it. Of course, I knew this intellectually, but to have it in my experience has changed me considerably, for the better I think. The concept of infinite diversity in infinite combinations, the most ancient and prized of Vulcan values, has expanded and taken on a broader, fuller dimension of meaning for me since meeting him.

A/N: As you could probably guess, Spock's side note was written by my sister, and not by me. She also wrote the beautiful description of Spock's Vulcan healing trance. I owe her so much for lending her talents yet again! (It helps that she practices yoga and knows a lot about meditation.)

Thanks for all of your detailed reviews for the last chapter – they really blew my mind!!


	5. Illusion or Reality?

Disclaimer: Star Trek belongs to Gene Roddenberry. The movie rights belong to J.J. Abrams and Paramount. Thanks to Zachary Quinto and Chris Pine for inspiring me to write about the young versions of Spock and Kirk!

A/N: Hokay! I'm back, ladies and gentlemen. After a long stay at camp and a brief case of writer's block I have returned, and I feel better than ever. This chapter is full of angst and torture and nasty things that humans can do to hurt others. I tend not to write chapters like this. I'm a big fan of the sunshine and butterflies and rainbows mixed in with a plot. BUT. This is a critical chapter, and it had to be written this way. Mind torture is a dark thing. It took a lot out of me to write this, which is part of the reason for the delay. Every word was carefully thought out. But it was a good challenge, as not everything in life is pleasant. What doesn't kill you only makes you stronger. (Words I live by.)

Warning: Torture, Angst, allusions to Rape, also Kirk uses the f word multiple times.

_Mission to Gamus_

Ch. 4: Illusion or Reality?

(Kirk POV)

The first thing those Gamosian bastards did was separate me from Spock. I wanted to fight them, to struggle to get free from their grasp, but I knew that Spock and I couldn't fight off ten armed men. So I decided to save my strength for later, when there might be a better chance for escape. Through our mind link, Spock praised my passive actions.

//It would not have helped to resist, t'hy'la.//

//Guess your logic is rubbing off on me – a couple years ago I still would've picked a fight.//

My hands were bound, as were Spock's and all five of the lamori. They led us through a long, dimly lit corridor until we reached an old-fashioned turbo lift that they called an elevator that played awful music. We were then transported to the highest level of the facility. Thankfully, the antiquated machinery was much slower than a turbo lift, which worked out well for me. I had a feeling I wouldn't be able to stay with Spock for long once we reached our destination.

//Spock, if you get the chance, contact the _Enterprise_ and beam up. I will not allow-// Spock cut in, gently refuting my statement.

//Jim, I am not leaving you.// But I knew my duty to Starfleet, and that the _Enterprise_ needed one of us to return to the ship. There was also the fact that I wanted to keep Spock safe.

//That's an order, Spock.// Oh yes, I went there. I knew my order had hurt Spock somewhat, I felt it through the bond. But if there was any chance that Spock could avoid the torture they were to impose upon us… I did not know if even one with training in Vulcan mind techniques could survive the experience.

I gazed at Spock one last time as the Mind Manipulators dragged me away from my bondmate, on Chancellor Oreilli's orders. What if it was the last time I ever saw him? _Don't think like that, Jim! At least we still have our telepathy. As long as we can communicate, I'll be fine. _I heard Ambassador Warryn give the order to make our lamori friends watch as they tortured me, which didn't do much to make me feel better about my current situation.

The MM shoved me into a room known to the Gamosians as the Chamber, not unlike the one aboard the _Narada_. Great. I was apprehensive enough, I really didn't need to be reminded of that sicko Nero right now. I allowed myself to be strapped into a large, silver contraption that seemed to be made for torture. At least I got to lie down – I did not believe I could make it through the torture if I had to keep standing upright. By the time the Gamosians were finished tying me down, I could barely move a muscle, which was the idea. My arms were stretched out at ninety degree angles, my legs and feet practically bolted to the 'bed'_. How the hell was I going to get out of this? And what about the lamori?_ I knew I was the one responsible for their capture. They had trusted me, and look where it had gotten them! An ache settled in my chest, similar to the ones I experienced whenever I lost a crewmember.

//Jim, do not despair. I can see you.// Spock's reassuring voice filtered through our bond link. //I am just outside the glass window to your left.// I glanced over at window – it was dark and opaque. I couldn't even see Spock's shadow behind it, although it was a comfort to know he was near.

//I'll take your word for it, Spock. I knew you were close by.//

//I am merely ten meters away. You can survive this, Jim, if we work together.// I grimaced inwardly, realizing what this would mean once the machine became operational. While Spock and I had certainly been captured by enemies before, I doubted if any of them had prepared us for the same type of challenge we were faced with now.

//I had hoped you wouldn't have to watch this, Spock.//

//Jim, do not be concerned with me. It is you that I am worried about.// I had nothing to say to that. _Yeah, Spock, I'm scared shitless too?_ He could feel my apprehension in the bond, no need to overstate it.

The Mind Manipulator then attached the apparatus on his head to the output device on the contraption that was holding me prisoner. All I could do was stare at him, and wonder why the hell all the male Gamosians thought their long-ass turquoise beards looked cool. Then Chancellor Oreilli gave the order.

"Switch on the Rejuvenator!" _What the fuck was going to happen to me?_ I visibly shook with fear, much to my chagrin. But I vowed they would not break me. No one had completely broken James T. Kirk, and no one ever would.

"It won't work on me. I promise you that," I informed all those who were present.

"Do not worry, James," Oreilli meant to sooth me, but it did just the opposite. "We have a 100% success rate. You'll feel better after the wickedness is purged from your soul." The Mind Manipulator quickly obeyed, fiddling with the controls. Then the thinly-disguised Overlord of all Gamus stepped closer, until his face was nearly inches from mine.

"James Tiberius Kirk, prepare to have your mind cleansed and restored. Are you ready to be born again?" I gritted my teeth, wishing I was anywhere else but this revolting place.

"There's no chance in hell I'm ready or willing to be 'born again'. Do your worst – I'm fucking _never_ leaving Spock," I growled, wishing to God that I could just get one hand free to knock this guy out so that I could grab Spock and make a run for it. But that was impossible, so instead I readied my mind for the onslaught that was sure to come.

//Jim, if I meld with you, I can blend my mental strength with yours.// Spock offered, and I knew that while I should refuse him this, I didn't have the courage to go through this without the his superior mental reinforcements. Lucky I had a half-Vulcan bondmate, really…

//Do it!// I ordered.

"Do not resist the treatment, Captain," Oreilli insisted. His false reassurances were really grating on my nerves. How the hell did a douche like this gain power over all of Gamus? "When we are finished, you will find yourself feeling better than you have in a long time."

"Doubtful," I snarled. He just shook his head, smiling.

"Just let us fix your abnormality, and then you can return to your ship." I decided not to argue this time, settling for gracing them with my steeliest glare. I felt a sedative enter my body, and at the first signs of weakness, I flung my mental shields up to 90%. I did not use their full capacity, as I still wanted to keep the link with Spock. I knew that his logic would be able to help me live through this experience. As the mind-weakening serum coursed through my veins, I lost all control of my thoughts. As I retreated farther into my mind, random images flew past me in no sequential order, all of events that had deeply impacted my life. Spock tried to slow my decent into myself, tried to prevent the intrusion in my mind. But even his Vulcan techniques were no match for the power of the mind-serum. It was all he could do to stay melded with me, and he was being repelled by a foreign invasion. But he continued to latch on to me, probably at great pain to himself. _Already I had caused my bondmate to be harmed…_

//Spock?// I was drowning in agony, I could barely feel my bondmate.

//Jim, I am still with you.//

As my shields continued to weaken, the Rejuvenator sifted through my deepest, most private remembrances before settling on a group of memories belonging to the most shameful time in my life.

Tarsus IV.

I'd been relocated to the human colony on Tarsus IV after my frequent mistreatment at the hands of my stepfather, Frank. My mother had thought it would be best if I saw a change of environment while she finalized her divorce from the man who had abused both myself and my older brother, Sam. At the beginning, I really liked living there. School was easier, I had more independence, and I didn't have to worry about my reputation at home as a troublemaker. But those happy times didn't last for long. For me, they never did. This fact made me repeatedly question whether bonding with Spock had been the right decision. I didn't want him to be saddled with this curse of mine. Thankfully, he hadn't let my bullshit prevent me from missing out on the best thing to ever happen to me – the devotion of a t'hy'la. Since I had bonded with Spock, I had all but forgotten about the Jim Kirk bad luck curse… until now.

The worst part about the Rejuvenator selecting these particular memories was that Spock had not viewed them. When we melded, I always blocked this cluster of memories from him. The fear was probably illogical, but I just didn't want Spock to see me so… helpless. In the beginning, I told myself it was because I didn't want him to lose faith in his captain, but I was really just afraid of what he would think of me. I also didn't want his pity or to cause him pain. My own pain was enough for the both of us.

Nevertheless, I had promised Spock that I would show him these last forbidden memories of mine once we returned to Earth at the end of the five year mission. It was past time I bared my entire soul to him, including the bit of my past of which I was most ashamed. I would've shown these experiences to Spock in a week of my own volition, but the MM had other plans. Now, Spock would be forced to experience them with me.

Horrified by the atrocities, Spock watched as my memories played out, as I heard Governor Kodos give the order to kill half the people in my colony. Suddenly I was back on the colony, back among the group of those picked as survivors, watching in horror as those who weren't as lucky learned they were to be exterminated.

"_The revolution is successful. But survival depends on drastic measures. Your continued existence represents a threat to the well-being of society. Your lives mean slow death to the more valued members of the colony. Therefore, I have no alternative but to sentence you to death. Your execution is so ordered, signed Kodos, Governor of Tarsus IV._"

Then they were hit by mass phaser fire, and an eleven year-old boy witnessed horrors unspeakable for one so young. People were screaming, trampling each other as they ran like animals trapped in a cage, searching for a way out, a way to avoid death. Their resistance was futile – every last one of them were shot to death. This was only the beginning of my stay in hell...

Later that day, I begged Kodos to spare the life of my young friend Kevin, who was only four years old and looked to me as his older brother. (Kodos had been toying with the idea of executing some of the younger children, as they were of little use to him.) He agreed, but only if he kept Kevin with him. I knew what kind of a man that Kodos was, what he did to young boys when no one was around. I couldn't let that happen to Kevin, so I volunteered myself on grounds that Kodos would leave Kevin alone. I insisted that I knew how to please men, that thanks to my stepfather, I was good at it by now. I should've guessed that Kodos had desired me over Kevin all along, but I never figured it out that a compliant Jim Kirk was what he had truly craved until years later.

Ever since then, I've despised manipulators. You know those people who twist the truth and screw people over so they can benefit from the outcome of an event? Because that's what Kodos was. Several times, after he'd raped me within an inch of my life, he'd locked me in his bedroom, disappearing for half a day before returning to attend to me. He knew there was something that frightened me worse than being raped – being sequestered after being raped. Kodos was the reason I was still mildly afraid of being left alone.

So it was no wonder that I noticeably flinched when the Mind Manipulator morphed into the red haired sadist. I could never forget that face, the cold, lustful eyes that bore into mine whenever he drank in the sight of me. He even used Kodos' baritone voice, causing me to shudder at the sound of it.

"Hello, Jimmy Kirk. Have you been missing your master?" I whimpered softly, remembering just how much of a hold Kodos had had over me. I was once again helpless before him, even if I was aware the man before me was not really Kodos. "Jimmy, you know you're only good for one thing, right? You're only good for pleasing men, and when you grow older people will tire of you and then you'll eventually die alone. You're worthless! Say it, Jim. Say it with me!"

//You are not worthless, t'hy'la. Far from it.// _Spock was still there!_ _He had not abandoned me_. That thought gave me courage. But why would Spock abandon me? Why had I thought that? Besides, I'm not afraid of Kodos anymore. It wasn't even Kodos! This wasn't making any sense…

//Remember who you are. You are James T. Kirk, Captain of the USS _Enterprise_, the youngest and finest captain in all of Starfleet. You are also my bondmate. Words cannot express what you mean to me.//

//Yes, now I remember.//

"No, I won't!" I cried, struggling against my bonds. "I'm not that person anymore! I grew the fuck up." His beady eyes saw right through me, and he sniffed out my fear.

"Jimmy, I still own you. Remember? Even when I'm not there, I'll still be a part of you." I panicked, trying to summon all of my strength to break out of my bonds but it was useless. How was I supposed to fight this?

//Jim, you do not have to look at him. Just _listen_ to me.// I shut my eyes tightly, trying to focus on my bondmate's strong voice of reason.

//I'll try.// Spock fed me waves of reassurance through the bond, making sure that I knew he was not disgusted by my actions, that any disgust he felt was strictly for Kodos and his deplorable actions.

//Was this boy you protected indeed Kevin Riley, the new lieutenant assigned to the engineering department?//

//The very same. I pulled some strings and got him a spot on board the _Enterprise_. He's doing very well – he barely has any memory of Tarsus, thank God. Me, on the other hand…// Spock inwardly sighed as 'Kodos' continued to rant about his hold on me. I found that, if I simply closed my eyes and focused on Spock's pulsing essence surrounding mine, I could tune out the manipulator.

//Jim, you could have showed me this. The circumstances surrounding your situation were by no means your doing. In fact, I am very proud of what you did for young Mr. Riley. He was not old enough to survive Kodos' treatment, as you did. Your actions depicted great bravery.// The bond sung with Spock's love and admiration but I consciously blocked it. I refused to accept it, not after what he'd just seen of me.

//But Spock, I let him fuck me. I just lay there and took it, multiple times. I didn't even fight back, not once.//

//That is not entirely true, Jim. You did what was necessary to survive, and to protect Kevin. If I had been in your place, if it had been my responsibility, I would not have done any different.// There was much logic to what Spock was saying, so I allowed his warmth to trickle through the bond. I embraced it, grasped on to it as if it were a last life line.

The MM continued to speak. "James, your stepfather and I made you what you are today. You would not be attracted to males, to Spock, if you had not had your experiences with us."

"No!" I hissed, secretly frightened that it was true. But why would I trust what this man said? Although I had a sinking suspicion he was right.

//Spock?// I asked hesitantly.

//His statement is _most_ illogical, not to mention invalid, Jim. Several genes part of the X chromosome are mostly responsibility for the sexual orientation of a human male. You know this. Kodos had absolutely no effect on your choice of life partner.// I did know this. What I didn't understand was why this knowledge escaped me just now.

//Spock, what's happening to my mind?// He lent me more of his energy then, in an attempt to strengthen my rapidly falling shields.

//It is my belief that the sedative has weakened it enough for you to believe that what is happening to you is truth. Please endeavor to remember that it is merely a projection, that there is a rather troubled Gamosian trying to conquer your mind. Do not allow that to happen, Jim!//

"Jim, open your eyes." Wait a minute… I knew that voice! Granted, I'd never heard it in all my life, but I recognized it from old holovids.

//Jim, do not open your eyes!//

//Spock, I have to. It's… him!// And indeed it was him. Standing before me was my father, George Kirk. I knew that this was my father as he looked just before he died. Now I knew why Mom looked at me the way she did – I really did resemble my father.

"I'm very disappointed in you, Jim." I frowned. He looked just like I'd imagined - a picture of utmost confidence and pride. But I knew that this was just a pale imitation of the man who had given me life. It would never do, and I realized that.

"You're not really my father. I know what you really are."

//Good, Jim.//

//Thanks, Spo_oock_//_ Ow! What the fuck just happened?_ My head swam, and I was momentarily disoriented.

//I do not know what has happened, but I will attempt to ascertain the cause of your pain. Hold on to me, Jim. Hold on.// I grasped some of Spock's energy, reveling in the coolness. Now I could attempt to collect my thoughts…

"I can't believe that any son of mine would marry a man! Not only that, he's not even a full blooded man," George considered. "You're an abomination! It's just not natural for men to marry each other. Now you'll never be able to carry on the family line." I was suddenly struck by an overwhelming sense of guilt. I was supposed to marry a female, it was the natural order of the human species. What was I doing with a male alien? But wait a second… I didn't even want kids! My life proved that leaving a child behind while devoting one's life to Starfleet like my mother did was not the best course of action. I could never do that to my offspring, so I hadn't planned on having any. _I'm so damn confused! _

//Spo?// I tensed, as my head swam. I could not even finish thinking Spock's name, the pain simply overwhelmed all of my senses.

//Do not think my name, t'hy'la.// Spock cautioned. //I believe it is what is causing you pain. They are shocking you every time you think of me.//

//Commander, I don't know where these emotions are coming from.// Frightened out of my wits, I shook my head from side to side in an attempt to clear my mind. But my feeble thrashing about was not helping my situation.

//Jim, be calm. It is just an illusion. This is real.// Spock sent his soothing thoughts and energies to calm me. I reveled in his essence, not wanting to be parted from it. However, his mind-speak voice seemed farther away than before. //This is not your fault. I believe the device is inserting specific thoughts and feelings into your mind, and the serum is not helping. I am still attempting to produce a solution that will spare you from this pain.//

"Jim." I stared at my faux father, wishing he would just disappear. How could any being accept this job as a Mind Manipulator? What happened to their moral center? Even _I've_ got one of those. I value life. I care about what happens to my friends and to strangers alike. I'd never want to inflict pain on someone I'd just met unless they'd hurt my bondmate or did something else of that nature. So what the fuck was wrong with this guy? The answer came to me – he was just following orders.

"What?" I spat.

"Son, how could a cold, unemotional being ever meet your needs?" I felt just the slightest twinge of annoyance from Spock, and I nearly lost it.

//Do not believe him, Jim. He's using your own memories against you. I have completed extensive studies on your father and his life in Starfleet even before I met you. George Kirk was not a prejudiced man. Like most humans, he believed that love was love, in any form that was not harmful to one of the participating parties. He would not disapprove of our bond; that much is certain. //

Spock's reassurance that the man was lying helped, but my thoughts still lingered on his words. I also didn't like how Spock's presence seemed to be slowly drifting away.

"Shut up!" I glared at him. "Don't insult Spock like that. Pick on me as much as you want, but leave him the hell alone." But my doubts lingered. What if there were some truth to his words? What if my father really didn't want me marrying a man?

"Jim, we both know how needy you are," George gave his son a knowing look. "Your life's been screwed up, more than once. What if this Vulcan of yours breaks your heart? It _will_ finish you. You're not strong enough to go on alone. You'll lose your ability to command, you'll lose the respect of your fellow officers, you'll even lose your beloved _Enterprise_."

I jerked at the mention of my ship. Lose the _Enterprise_? Unthinkable! I knew that Spock was devoted to me in every way that a Vulcan could be, but what if he suddenly lost interest in me? What if he decided I was emotionally compromising him, and chose to devote his life to the Kolinahr discipline, purging himself of emotions and our bond forever? After all, no relationship is guaranteed it will last a lifetime, let alone until tomorrow. Would I be strong enough to carry on without him, to lead my crew without my other half at my side? George certainly did not think so. I was losing it, I needed Spock and fast.

//Commander, are you still there?//

//I have not left you Jim.// He was continuing to fade. I had to strain to hear him. //However I have thought of a possible solution to our current situation.//

//Let's hear it.//

//You will not-// 'George' unknowingly interrupted our telepathic conversation. This was the first time they'd been able to yank my mind away from focusing on Spock. Not good…

"Spock would be better off without you as his mate, Jim. Are you aware that Vulcan life spans are at least twice as long as those of humans?" _Of course I was aware of this! That fact haunts me a little more each day._

"He would be alone for half his life!" George continued. "You know that Vulcans can't be left alone for too many years before taking another mate. He will be forced to do so if he is to assuage the… -he searched through my memories until he settled on our honeymoon - Pon Farr." That was when he morphed into Spock. I blanched at the sight of my bondmate, knowing it was not him but all the same wanting this Spock's approval.

//I'm sorry, Spock!// I practically wailed through our link, receiving yet another jolt of pain when I thought his name. //I didn't mean for him to find out about Pon Farr!// My thoughts were growing hysterical now, and I fought to stay conscious.

//Jim, do not be alarmed.// I could feel that Spock himself was alarmed at my reaction. //I am not upset with you! It is not your fault! The preservation of ancient Vulcan secrets is the last thing I am concerned about right now.// _Oh Spock… my Spock… don't ever leave…_

//Commander, I don't know how much longer I can last if he continues to take your form…// I could feel Spock's alarm that I was being affected so, that I barely had the strength to answer back. The MM were indeed sucking my soul out from under me. But when I focused on my bondmate again, I recognized that he had a new air of determination about him. He'd discovered a solution!

//Jim! They cannot break the bond unless you give them enough control over your mind. This is how they have managed to sever the lamori bonds. It all makes sense now.//

"Jim," the faux Spock spoke. It was eerie how much he sounded like my Spock. "Our marriage is an abomination, a profanity to the universe. I need you to break our bond. It is the only way you can save yourself, and me from my emotions."

//Noooo!// I closed my eyes again. //Spooock!// The pain surfaced again, this time worse than the times before. Once again, I had forgotten not to think his name.

//I am in here, not out there.// Spock gently reminded me that he did not wish to break our bond.

//I know it is not you in front of me but…// The strain of the mind torture was taking its toll on me. My eyes had started to water, my chest tightened considerably, my head throbbed. Spock knew I was struggling to keep my shields almost at maximum and keep our mind link open.

//Commander, I think I'm losing my mind.// This fear almost took hold of me. Thankfully, Spock once again shared his life essence with me, in an effort to clear my mind. But I could tell that the effort was really draining him…

//I always knew you were an illogical human.// A faint hint of humor trickled through our bond, and I immediately felt a faint sense of hope. Spock's sense of humor sure did have odd timing, but he learned it from the best so I can't complain. He did not want me to dwell on that thought, that much was clear, so he attempted to distract me from it. //Jim, I know a way how to remove you from this unfortunate situation, but you will not like it.//

//I'll do anything at this point to get out of here! What do you have in mind?// I knew he'd better hurry, as Faux Spock was still waiting for my answer.

"I'm still deciding," I stalled to the imposter. "Sometimes it takes me awhile to make a difficult decision." The not-my-Vulcan raised an eyebrow but seemed content to wait for my answer. And while he did, I secretly conferred with my Vulcan.

//Jim, you will have to shield them completely and convince them that you have broken our bond. If they cannot see me in your head, if you act accordingly, they will believe they have broken you and they will release you.// Spock's plan sounded brilliant and logical as usual. It was also one of the oldest tricks in the book. If we played our cards right, the Gamosians might just buy it. But there was one detail of the plan that I did not agree with.

//Commander, I don't think I can handle not having you in my head right now.// Spock inwardly sighed.

//I knew you would not like it. But it is the only option available to us.// Spock's mind-speak voice was fading away, it was difficult to hear him.

//But why can't I just pretend that I broke our bond and still keep our link open?//

//Oreilli knows… our telepathy. I believe the MM can sense… we are still linked.//

//Commander, I can barely hear you.//

//Im, will…raise my shields. You must… the same.//

//But Commander, what if, after you leave, I think that you have left me for good? In a moment of weakness, I may choose to allow them to break the bond.//

//That…risk we… to take. Ji… please….remem…t'hy…//

//But wait, I'm not ready!// Just then a wave of ice rattled my body to its core. Spock was no longer with me. //Commander? _Commander?!_// No response. His shields were at full power. Fine, if that's the way he wanted it…or at least I thought he said he planned it, that he wasn't just shutting me out. I flung my shields wide open, so they encompassed my entire being. I was safe from their intrusion for the moment, but I was without Spock.

"Jim, have you made your decision?" Faux Spock stared at me, trying to ascertain just what my answer would be. My eyes flew open. I made a big show of acting like my other half was being ripped from me. A little thrashing here, a little shouting here. I shouted Spock's name again, and took the pain willingly, feeding them the same bull about how our bond was an abomination to the world and to male/female marriages everywhere. After all, it's what they wanted to hear.

"Let me free of you, Spock!" I writhed in 'agony' all the while hoping my performance wasn't too dramatic, as I needed it to be believable. And then I completely stopped moving. I lay there, allowing for my heart rate to return to normal. I reinforced my mental shields, making sure they were still fully operational. They were. Then my eyes flew open.

"It is done." I turned to faux Spock with a dreamy grin plastered across my face. "You were correct, I feel so much better!" I glanced around the room in absolute wonder. "I have been born again. The world seems so much _brighter_ now! Why, I feel like I could fly!"

"Good, Captain. I am very glad to hear it. And how do you feel about Spock?" Chancellor Oreilli motioned to the faux Spock in front of me. I shrugged.

"I like Spock, he's my friend and First Officer. We make a great team." I gave faux Spock a hearty pat on the back. "I don't know what he's doing here but that's okay. If you don't mind, I'd like to leave now. I have this major urge to hit the bars and pick up chicks."

If Spock were here his eyebrow would hit the ceiling. Whenever I had to act my way out of a situation, Spock always reminded me afterwards of how corny I sounded. But hey, whatever worked, right? I only hoped I'd put on enough of a performance to convince the Overlords that I'd magically turned straight.

Oreilli smirked at Warryn, who looked as if he'd just lost a bet.

"You see, Warryn, it can be done. Even this one, with the strongest mind we've seen so far, is reverting back to his original nature. We have even managed to penetrate a Vulcan love bond! That is fine science at work!"

"Indeed, Chancellor," Warryn agreed, turning to look at me to gage my reaction to their conversation. I kept my true giddy feelings from fooling them hidden – Spock had taught me well. My shields were still holding, and as far as I could tell, they had no indication that I might be faking. "But I do not completely trust Kirk. He's a sly fox, that one." I just grinned stupidly at him, silently damning him to hell and hoping he would think I was still feeling the effects of the mind drug. "I say we keep him under surveillance for the next few days. Besides, we can't let him go just yet. We need the effects of the transformation to wear off so that when he returns to his ship no one suspects any foul play."

"Fine," Oreilli sighed. "He's your responsibility. Do with him what you will."

"Come with me, Kirk," Warryn motioned. "We'll get you settled right away."

"Thanks, man." I slapped him on the back as well. Warryn just gave me a suspicious look, and I thought I might want to tone down the drugged out behavior a bit.

As I finally exited that torture chamber, I breathed an inward sigh of relief. I'd done just what Spock had asked – I survived. But now a new fear surfaced in my mind. I knew they planned to torture Spock next. What if one of us couldn't keep our shields up and they discovered we were still bonded? Or worse, what if Spock couldn't survive the torture on his own? What if he was manipulated into severing our bond?

At that moment, I wanted nothing more than to reach out to Spock through our link, but I knew it was impossible, not to mention illogical. If we wanted to continue the charade, we had to keep our shields up at full power. I couldn't reassure Spock that I wasn't going to cave under pressure of being alone, nor could he reassure me that he was going to make it through the torture without breaking our bond. We just had to trust that the other was strong enough to remember just how deep our bond ran. If we didn't succumb to our worst fears, then we would emerge stronger having faced this situation together. But if one of us did succumb, we would both be privy to the true experience of having half of one's soul ripped from us.

_Be brave, Spock,_ I thought to myself. _Don't forget that you are wanted. _I would do well to remember the same…

_End Ch. 4_

_A/N: Thanks for sticking with me! You all have been wonderful with reviews and it really does mean a lot to me. Every one of my readers is important. _

_Also, as Spock might say, I shall endeavor to update at a quicker rate. Whether I'll succeed, who knows?_

_In other news, I'm attending the Star Trek Con in Vegas this Weds-Sun. If anyone is going and wants to meet up feel free to send me a PM. _

_That's it for now, just know that I am back on board with this thing!_


	6. Escape

Disclaimer: Star Trek belongs to Gene Roddenberry. The movie rights belong to J.J. Abrams and Paramount. Thanks to Zachary Quinto and Chris Pine for inspiring me to write about the young versions of Spock and Kirk!

A/N: Somehow I managed to find time to write this during downtime at the Vegas Trek convention, which is so much fun! It's just a unique experience. I'm meeting Quinto on Sunday, and I'll be sure to report back on how that went. Gah, Star Trek fans are so cool! I'm dedicating this chapter to Blackbird_Song on LJ, cause we met up at the con and she's just an amazing person and writer.

Also, Spock makes an allusion to a quote by Gene Roddenberry. It's his idea, not mine. I just had to include it because I think it's a brilliant concept and also very true to the core of what makes Star Trek so relevant and moving.

_"I believe in humanity. We are an incredible species. We're still just a child creature, we're still being nasty to each other. And all children go through those phases. We're growing up, we're moving into adolescence now. When we grow up - man, we're going to be something!"_

-GR, the Great Bird of the Galaxy

Ch. 5: Escape

(Spock POV)

The moment I completely blocked Jim from my mind, he convulsed right before my eyes. Only a thin panel of glass separated me from my bondmate, who was bravely withstanding the torture bestowed on him by the Gamosians. Thankfully, Jim had decided to put my plan into action. He was going to pretend to be cleansed of his 'unnatural' bond to me in hopes of exiting the Chamber with his mind still somewhat intact. It was the only option available to us. It was very strange, completely blocking Jim from my conscious mind. Of course we'd shielded each other before, but never to this extent. There wasn't even the faintest trace of Jim's warmth left in my mind. It was quite unnerving, to be frank. I wanted to reach out and touch him with my mind, but due to our current situation, that was impossible.

The two pairs of lamori looked at me curiously, as if expecting me to react to Jim's "torture". Harvvi, Maathu, Sapphia, Elennya, and the Elder, Samm were each being held at phaserpoint by a guard. I had been so taken by Jim's performance I had forgotten to keep up my own end of the bargain. After all, if Jim was supposedly severing his bond with me, it would be prudent to give the Gamosian guards a negative reaction. So I seized up, my back a straight as a board as I clutched my chest cavity. I fell to the floor in a heap, throwing in a few twitches and a "No, Jim!" just for good measure.

Then I lay still. All of this took approximately five point two seconds. I was a firm believer in the 'less is more' philosophy, as Vulcans do not exaggerate. However, my strong belief in subtlety was not usually shared by my bondmate. Even without the mind link, I was fairly certain that Jim's own scene would take at least another twenty seconds. He would find it necessary to give them a performance worthy of remembrance. But would the Mind Manipulators buy that his bond with me was broken? I could not be certain of this, but I had faith in Jim's acting abilities.

As I was lying there on the floor, I reached deep within the recesses of my mind to where my body functions were regulated. I gradually slowed my pulse until there was only the faintest pitter of a heartbeat. If I was lucky, when they came to ascertain my status, the Gamosian security forces would believe the shock of losing my bond with Jim had killed me. Then, when I found the odds to be more to my liking, I would break free from the guards and try to contact the _Enterprise_. Of course I would need to locate my communicator, which was easier said than done.

"Mr. Spock?" Defying the guards, Harvvi slowly approached me. "Please, Mr. Spock, don't be dead!" He took my hand and gently shook it. I really wished he wouldn't, as it was very difficult not to react to all of his fearful emotions spilling into me. Luckily, he let my hand drop. Then he turned to his companions. "He's gone," he announced, on the verge of tears.

"You bastards!" Maathu swore at the guards. He started towards Harvvi in hopes of comforting him.

"Stay away from him or I'll shoot," the tallest guard warned. Reluctantly, Maathu returned to his original position across the room from his bondmate.

"His bondmate's torture must've been too much for his mind to handle!" Sapphia cried. "How awful!"

"Poor Captain Kirk," Elennya sniffed. I imagined her catching her mate's eyes from across the room. "He'll feel responsible for sure if he ever remembers what really happened."

"Shut up, all of you!" The same guard growled. "I don't want to hear anything more from you unfortunates." With my superior Vulcan hearing, I heard Maathu mutter 'it's you that are the unfortunate one'.

Speaking of Jim, I easily picked up his voice coming from the room on the opposite side of the glass. His voice gave me hope that we could still escape this place with our bond still intact.

"_I have been born again. The world seems so much brighter now! Why, I feel like I could fly!"_

Although I firmly believed Jim was overdoing his performance, I was relieved that he had the presence of mind to continue the charade. From the sound his conversation, the Gamosians actually believed that they had severed Jim's bond with me through their torture devices. Idiots. But while Jim was handling with the questions of the MM to ascertain his mental status, I had my own difficulties to deal with.

Having seen my 'death scene', the Gamosian security guards quickly shooed the lamori away from my body. One of the guards kicked me in the rear, which was a rather unpleasant experience. Not because of the action itself, but because I absorbed his feelings from watching Jim's torture. How anyone could be aroused by such atrocities was beyond my comprehension. I wanted to _hurt_ that man, and make him suffer the way Jim did, but logic won out in the end. If I was going to escape from the Overlords' clutches, I had to continue to "play possum" as humans would say. It was imperative that I extricate myself from these guards before I could take action.

"Is the Rejuvenator even supposed to do that?" One of the guards asked, sounding doubtful as he prodded my side with its boot. "I didn't think it was designed to kill anyone, much less the one that wasn't in the Chamber."

"How the hell should I know?" Another guard answered. "We've never had a Vulcanian or whatever he's called go through the procedure before. But that doesn't make any sense. He wasn't the one being tortured! That pansy captain was."

"I've heard of his kind," the leader of the guards announced. I could practically feel his cold gaze sweep my still form. "I know those pointy-eared guys have telepathy, so he must've felt Captain Kirk break their bond in his head." I heard the smirk in his voice. "Guess Vulcans are weak."

"I really think he's dead," another guard argued. "But we can't just leave him here. Cryyos, what do we do?"

"What we always do in this situation, asshole," Cryyos snapped. "We call our superior!"

"Oh yeah," Asshole relented. He turned to his neighbor. "Hey, moron, call the chancellor!"

"I called it in last time," his buddy argued.

"I don't care _who _calls, just as long as we get the chancellor on the line!" Cryyos barked, frustrated with the imbeciles he had to work with every single day.

"Fine, I'll do it," Asshole relented. He pressed a button on his wrist communicator. "Chancellor Oreilli, please come in… Yeah, I know you're busy… but sir, we've got a problem here with the Vulcan…" Asshole ended the transmission after he received his order. "Oreilli's on his way."

I didn't have to wait long before the ruler of all Gamus arrived.

"What happened?" He demanded.

"Sir, we believe that once Kirk snapped his bond with the Vulcan, he keeled over. I think his heart couldn't take the stress," Cryyos joked.

"How sweet." Chancellor Oreilli simpered. He knelt down next to me and placed two fingers on the human pulse point. Thankfully, Vulcan physiology is different from that of humans. He was not able to feel my faint pulse! Maybe it wouldn't be so difficult to escape after all. Then Oreilli dashed my hopes just a little. "But I want to confirm the Vulcan's death. Transport his body to medical bay four."

"Yes, sir. Right away sir!" Cryyos promised. After the chancellor's footsteps receded, the head of security rounded on his men. "You three, take the unfortunates away." Three of the guards escorted the protesting lamori away. As concerned as I was for their safety, there was nothing I could do for them, just like there had been nothing I could do for Jim. _Don't think about that. Jim __**will**__ be fine._

"Hey Cryyos, what are we supposed to do?" Great, idiot one and idiot two were still here. Actually, now that I think about it, this could work to my advantage…

"Asshole! Moron! You heard the order – snap to it!" Cryyos growled.

"But I don't wanna touch the alien faggot," Asshole whined. "It probably has germs and I don't wanna be infected."

_Fascinating._ I briefly wondered if the guards were disturbed more by the fact that I was not completely human, or the fact that I had a man for a mate. I had dealt with the prejudices associated with xenophobia for most of my life, but homophobia was another matter. I'd never run across anyone in Starfleet who'd been disgusted by my relationship with Jim. It just wasn't an issue with humans or anyone who belonged to the Federation, thanks to the LGBT rights movement in the early 21st century.

In contrast to my world, these Gamosians were behind on the times. While they indeed had a prosperous society, they were still rather narrow-minded in their approach to constructing a utopia. The Gamosian Overlords were much like children who hadn't yet figured out how to be accepting of others who were different from them. And much like bullies who held all the power in a school setting, they were infecting the rest of the society with their bigoted attitude. Unfortunately, I didn't see those 'children' growing up anytime soon. They were much too corrupted by greed, power, and wealth. How Jim and I were going to help the lamori gain equal status in Gamosian society, or at least avoid torture, I could not be certain.

The guards were still arguing amongst themselves.

"And you think I want to touch it?" Moron snorted. "Screw that." I pictured Asshole glaring at the man.

"Work it out," snapped Cryyos. "I have better things to do to listen to the both of you." He stalked off, muttering about incompetent subordinates. The guards continued to argue for the next few minutes until they made a decision.

"Look, we're just going to have to flip for it," Moron ceded. "You want heads or tails?" But just who was going to have to move the body, they never found out. That was when I sprang at them, taking out Asshole with one clean punch to the face_. That's what you get for thinking unspeakable thoughts about my bondmate! _I knew I should not have resorted to violence, but his thoughts had emotionally compromised me. The loss of Jim's reassuring presence in my head coupled by my worry for his safety had caused me to act in a matter not fitting for a Vulcan. I would endeavor to change my behavior – next time.

But while I took out the one guard, his counterpart contacted his boss.

"Emergency, I have an-"

Those nerve pinches certainly are an efficient method of rendering one's enemy unconscious. But the damage was done; the Gamosians would surely send security to apprehend me. I had to leave this area, and quickly!

As the guard fell to the floor, I noticed that he still had my communicator in his possession. Grabbing it, I bolted down the dimly lit corridor. I snapped my communicator open, speaking as loudly as I dared.

"Spock to _Enterprise_. Spock to _Enterprise_!" No answer. _I must be out of range._

"Red alert!" A computerized voice sounded over the comm system. "We have a loose Vulcan in sector B, level sixteen. I repeat, we have a loose Vulcan in sector B, level sixteen. His capture is priority class one, phasers on stun. Consider him armed and dangerous." If Jim were here I doubt he would appreciate the terminology used to describe his bondmate. But Jim was not here. I was on my own. It was imperative that I returned to the ship to direct the operation that would rescue Jim as well as the lamori on this planet. As I ran, I began to formulate a plan how to achieve this objective.

I turned the corner to find a group of security officers running straight towards me at the opposite end of the corridor.

"There it is!" One of them shouted. "Stun it!" I narrowly avoided their phaser fire, increasing my pace as I booked it down the stairs. I picked a level, and hid in one of the unlocked rooms. Two security guards flew right past the door. I was safe, for the moment.

"Mr. Spock, are ye alright?" Scotty's voice filtered through the communicator. That man always had impeccable timing!

"I am uninjured, Mr. Scott," I replied. "However, the condition of the captain is questionable. I must ask that you beam both of us up at once." Scotty promised that he would try. But he responded only moments later, sounding frustrated.

"I'm sorry, Mr. Spock, but I cannae beam up the captain! The sensors cannae tell the difference between human and Gamosian physiology. You're the only one we have locked on for sure."

This was an unfortunate development, but it made sense. While Gamosians and Vulcans were both humanoid species, Gamosians were much more similar to the physicality of humans. If it wasn't for the oddly colored hair and beards, I might've thought we'd been visiting an Earth colony!

I did not want to leave Jim on Gamus without me, but I could not ignore his last order. He'd wanted me to return to the ship if I was able. So I relented, if only because I had a better chance rescuing Jim with the help of the crew. Returning to the _Enterprise _was the only logical decision. I knew I would be back for Jim before long. While I did wish to assist the lamori, Jim's rescue was my number one priority.

"Energize." A security guard burst in on my hiding place, but he was too late to apprehend me.

I had already safely beamed aboard the _Enterprise_.

End Ch. 5

A/N: For those of you who don't know, LGBT stands for Lesbian Gay Bisexual Transgendered.

This chapter was somewhat of a filler, but after that last angst-filled chapter I just wanted to add a little levity to the story. Don't worry - the following chapter will be action-packed!

P.S. If I could ask ZQ one question on Sunday (preferably relating to something about him and Chris) what should it be? I was thinking I might ask what his favorite on set experience with Chris was, but if someone has a better idea I'd be glad to hear it. (He probably can't talk much about the sequels though.)


	7. Doubts Part One

Disclaimer: Star Trek belongs to Gene Roddenberry. The movie rights belong to J.J. Abrams and Paramount. Thanks to Zachary Quinto and Chris Pine for inspiring me to write about the young versions of Spock and Kirk!

A/N: So I saw Zachary Quinto, William Shatner, and Leonard Nimoy at the convention! They were wonderful. I got to ask Zach what his favorite memory of Chris was on set and he cited the infamous "bridge (Spock chokes Kirk) scene" because he got to kick Chris's ass. LOL. And of course the Shatnoy love was obvious during the entire time they were on stage. (Bill kept touching Leonard, and they were teasing each other and it was just cute.) More on the con experience at my LiveJournal (Spirktrekker42). There's even a link to a youtube vid of me asking Zach the question about Capt Fine!! Star Trek cons RULE.

.~.

Ch. 6: Doubts – Part I

(Kirk POV)

"Rise and shine, Captain Kirk!" A distinctly perky female voice penetrated my early morning haze. Damn, but my head hurt. What had happened to me? How long had I been out? And where the hell was Spock? I couldn't feel him inside my mind. Spock was totally cut off from me; not once had that happened in our five years as bondmates. There were times when we shielded each other from our personal thoughts, of course, but this was different. I gently tapped on his shields, as if to say, 'let me in!' but was met with only resistance.

//Why?// My mind called out, only to be met with silence. Never had I gone without feeling even the faintest hint of Spock's distinctive mind signature. It was as if the best part of my mind had been suddenly ripped away…

I slowly opened my eyes to find an attractive blonde standing over me in bed. She was wearing a medical uniform and reminded me a bit of Nurse Chapel, save for the streaks of shocking pink in her hair. She was_ exactly _the type of woman I would've gone for before I had met… _Shit._ Fear suddenly gripped me and I pulled up the comforter up to my neck. Had I lost my senses completely and slept with this woman? Is that why I couldn't feel Spock when I tapped on our shields? Had my supposed betrayal caused him to sever our link? I couldn't afford to make such a foolhardy mistake! _Spock! What have I done?!_

"Ugh…" I groaned, causing the woman to take a step back. Why was my head still fuzzy? And why did I unconsciously flinch when I thought Spock's name? I knew the blonde probably had some of the answers I sought. Not that I trusted her or anything, but I had to start somewhere. "What's going on?" Slowly, I sat up in bed. "I feel like shit," I confessed.

"You had a heart attack yesterday, Captain," the woman replied, the concern apparent in her warm eyes. "It must've been the stress."

"Wait, what?" I frowned at the woman. I knew for a fact that my heart was in perfect health. Bones had just given me a clean bill of health two weeks ago. If there'd been even the slightest concern that my heart wasn't performing optimally, Bones would've told me. (The smug bastard probably would've cited it as a result of all the steak I'd eaten.) This 'heart attack' seemed like a pretty flimsy explanation for my current symptoms. "Aren't I a little young for a heart attack?"

I knew my confusion was written across my face. Unlike Spock, I had difficulty concealing my emotions. But there was good reason for my befuddled state. This woman could be lying to my face. Or she could be telling the truth, based on the information she'd been given. I decided that it didn't matter at this point. My first priority was to find out my location because I couldn't remember it for the life of me. All I knew was that I was not on my beloved _Enterprise_.

"Just tell me where I am…please," I added in an afterthought.

"Certainly, sir," the female indulged me, flashing a smile. _Sir. If she'd slept with me, she wouldn't be calling me sir, right?_ "You were sent by the Federation on a diplomatic mission to Gamus, remember?" My eyes scanned the room. It was like staying at a four star hotel on Earth. Nice furnishings, the smell of freshly washed towels, direct computer access. _Perhaps I could use the computer to…_ But just then I spied something above the door, a small box that looked suspiciously like a camera. Clearly, I was being watched by the Gamosians. I had to stay alert and on my toes until I could understand my situation more fully.

"Oh yeah," I said slowly. "I'd just gotten Chancellor Oreilli to agree to Gamus joining the Federation when..." I trailed off, shooting her an apologetic look. "I don't remember anything after that." Why did she seem a little relieved?

"I'm not surprised you don't remember what happened next. That's when you had your heart attack," she gently informed me. "The chancellor made sure you had the best medical care Gamus has to offer. You were given a sedative to help you rest."

"That explains the headache," I muttered, not totally convinced by her story. "But I don't get why there's a gap in my memory." The young woman sat down next to me on the bed, sitting closer to me than was needed. It was obvious that she was indeed attracted to me, but I knew there had been nothing between us last night. How could there have been, if I'd been sedated? Inwardly relieved that I hadn't cheated on Spock, this only added to my confusion. I now had no explanation for Spock's shielding of the bond.

"The doctors said you suffered some short term memory loss," the woman offered. That sounded more than a little fishy to me. I needed to get as much information from this woman as I could. So I fell back to my original approach. I used my charm. Maybe if I was lucky, I could even lay my hands on my communicator, as it was not in sight.

"Miss, I take it you have been the one to take care of me for the last day or so."

"Yes. It was no trouble," the blonde insisted. I gazed deeply into her eyes.

"What is your name?" The young woman visibly brightened.

"Nurse Emilee, sir."

"Emilee…" I drew out her name, almost like a caress. I took her hand in mine, for once thankful that Spock's shields were still up. He didn't need to feel me flirting with a female, much less see me holding her hand!"

"Yes, Captain?" She gave me a hopeful look. It was a look I knew well. Why so many women fell for me at first sight, I couldn't be sure. That wasn't true – in all likelihood it had something to do with my dashing good looks and irresistible personality. But regardless of the reason, I just had that affect on them, and on some men as well. But I was happily bonded now, and my recreational flirting had greatly diminished. Spock fulfilled me in a way that I didn't need to turn to others for attention. But if I ever was to get back to Spock, and determine his status, I would do what was necessary.

"Call me Jim."

"Jim." This woman would not stop beaming at me! Not that I minded, really. She_ was_ a beautiful woman. But I had more important concerns at the moment.

"Emilee, I'd like to contact my ship, if you don't mind." I gave her my most winning smile, my blue eyes sparkling with mischief. "I need to check in with my first officer." I had to make sure that Spock was alright. What if something terrible had happened to him and I wasn't aware of it?

"Oh…" she murmured. "Well, Captain, I-I wish I could let you contact them, but I'm under strict orders from your doctor McCoy for you to just rest for a few days." I frowned.

"You spoke with McCoy?" Why wouldn't Bones want to talk to me? First Spock, and now him? This was, as my bondmate would say, most irregular.

"Everything is arranged, Captain. Please, don't fret – I want you to make a full recovery." Emilee's hand reached out to caress my face, and I shrunk away from her. "What's wrong, Jim?" She asked softly, put out by my strange reaction.

"I don't know," I sighed. "I just…don't want to be touched right now." _You're not Spock, sorry._ "Is that normal for heart attack victims?" She shrugged.

"You just need time to feel like your old self."

"That must be it." I flashed her an apologetic grin. But she had no way of knowing how her unwanted touch had triggered a chain of memories. Suddenly, I was back in the Chamber, being forcibly restrained as the Rejuvenator sifted through my mind. I turned away from the nurse, not wanting her to see how I was being affected. Now I recalled just why I couldn't feel Spock in my head – it had been something we both agreed upon, to convince the Gamosians that they had indeed broken our bond with their torture device. I knew that Spock was going to try and rescue me, but I didn't know if he'd managed to return to the ship or if he was still being held in captivity. Wherever he was, I just hoped he was safe and not suffering at the hands of the Overlords. If I found out he'd been forced to endure the same torture as me, I'd never forgive myself…

The nurse gave me a moment before commanding my attention once more.

"Jim, do you find me beautiful?" Emilee wanted to know. She was coming on awfully strong, batting her eyes and invading my space. Then I realized that the Gamosian Overlords had more than likely sent her to ascertain my mental status, specifically if I was attracted to this woman. It was critical that I act like the earlier fabled Captain Kirk, before the universe became aware of my committed relationship to Spock. Bold, brash, and the legendary playboy who was very much attracted to women, and only women - that was my former front. I had to act the part, if only so I'd be allowed to return to the _Enterprise _as soon as possible.

"You know I do," I replied without missing a beat, turning back to face her. My cocky grin was back. "Maybe when I'm feeling better we could go get a drink or something." She returned my grin.

"I'd like that. You really are improving!" My gut twisted at that, sickened by the fact that she believed I'd simply been 'ill' and that I would be improved after the torture. Why did these people believe it would be an improvement to 'free' the lamori from their mates, just because their relationships didn't fit the narrow minded constraints of the society? How could life without love - in any form - be an improvement? I frowned; now was not the time to dwell on the particulars of Gamosian society. I decided it was time that I tested my boundaries. Because, even if it didn't appear to be so, I could be being held prisoner by these people. An upscale hotel room was still a prison if I wasn't granted the freedom to leave it.

"If I wanted to, could I go outside?" Emilee launched into a long winded explanation about how I could be escorted anywhere in the city, but only after my meeting. Apparently, the Gamosian leaders wished to continue to speak to me about the process of joining the Federation. _Like that was going to happen anytime soon after what I'd just experienced… but I could play along._ It seemed that I was a prisoner after all – why else would I need the escort if they weren't trying to keep tabs on me at all times? No matter. I'd do whatever was necessary to convince the Gamosians that I'd been 'cured' so that I could contact my ship.

"…Sure, I'm up for a meeting," I cut her off eventually. "When do we start?"

.~.

Emilee called a guard to escort me to the main audience chamber, where my original meeting with the Gamosian leaders had taken place. I'd made her turn her back when I dressed, claiming Starfleet protocol demanded it. My uniform was waiting for me, from the stiffness of the material, it felt as if it'd been washed and pressed. My hosts certainly went out of their way to make me feel comfortable, well, beside the whole torture thing.

When the guard arrived, Nurse Emilee gave me a swift peck on the cheek, promising to stop by later. Forgive me for not leaping for joy.

"Good morning, Captain," the guard greeted me once she'd gone.

"Morning." I grinned at the guard.

"How are you feeling?"

I wondered what he thought of the whole torture procedure, if he was even aware of it. Maybe, if I played my cards right, I could convince him that it was unethical and he could help me to escape back to my ship, where I could take action. On the other hand, it might be foolish to reveal my true feelings to this stranger. I'd have to feel him out before making any decisions…

"I've never felt better," I smoothly lied.

"That's good to hear," the guard replied, keying in the code that sealed my room until I needed further use of it. "Follow me, please." Wordlessly, I accompanied him out into the corridor. But I didn't keep my mouth shut for long.

"So how long have you had this job?" I wanted to know. The guard shrugged. He looked to be about approximately ten years older than myself. Spock could've given me a more precise approximation. _Spock…_

"I guess about five years," he answered. "Why'd you want to know?" It was my turn to shrug.

"Just curious. I'm Jim, by the way. Jim Kirk." I held out my hand and he shook it.

"Christiaan."

"Nice to meet ya." We continued down the corridor towards the turbolifts at the end. I had to do something before we got there if I ever was to have time to talk with this guy. But he spoke first.

"Hey, did you really do all of those things they said on the news?" Christiaan wished to know. "You know, saving the Earth and all that?" Did I detect a hint of hero worship? I could really use that to my advantage!

"I did," I replied, allowing pride to seep into my voice. "I saved Earth more than once. And then there's the classified stuff no one knows about." I shook my head. "Some of the shit I've come across you'd never believe it unless you saw it with your own eyes." A genetically-engineered superman by the name of Khan was at the top of that list. Luckily I'd banished him and his people to an uninhabited planet where he wouldn't have access to spaceflight. He'd never bother anyone again, thanks to my genius plan.

"You're a big hero of my son's, and myself as well," the guard confessed. "When my son heard you were coming to deliver medical supplies, it was all he could talk about for days. Before we go, I just wanted to thank you for all of your service and dedication."

"No problem," I said wryly. "But the news likes to blow my deeds out of proportion. Not all of my missions were successful, not by a long shot." The image of Vulcan imploding played in my head. I knew that Nero's destruction of Spock's planet was in no way my fault, but I still felt guilty about that.

"You're modest too." The guard stared at me in awe. "You never should've come here," he muttered under his breath. That sounded like an open invitation if I'd ever heard one…

"Uh, 'scuse me, but could I use the facilities before my meeting?" The guard nodded.

"Of course. This way." We turned down a little used hallway just before the turbolifts. I went inside the bathroom and the guard followed me. Looking around, I saw no cameras. Good. Christiaan opened his mouth to speak, but I beat him to it.

"You know what they did to me." My bluntness shocked him, and he nodded guiltily. If Spock had been here, he would've been amused. I wasn't exactly the king of subtle. The man reluctantly nodded.

"I'm sorry, Jim." Christiaan shot me a wounded look. "There was nothing I could do."

"There's always something you and your people can do." I returned his gaze, unflinching.

"You don't understand!" The guard checked outside to make sure no one was listening in to our conversation. Luckily, the hall was deserted. "The Overlords control everything that we do. Anyone who resists finds themselves in the Chamber. We never see them after that. That's what happened to my brother. He was involved in a resistance movement, and one day he just disappeared. My brother meant everything to me – as kids we were inseparable." He looked down at the floor. "I don't even know if Harvvi is still alive." My ears pricked up at the name.

"Harvvi? I met a Harvvi, down in the caves." Christiaan's face lit up with the hope of seeing his brother once more.

"What does he look like?" I tried my best to remember any distinguishing features, but to me Harvvi looked like just another standard Gamosian.

"He was with his bondmate, Maathu."

"That's my brother alright!" Christiaan's smile truly stretched a mile wide. "I'm so glad he's alive. But, did you say, he is bonded? To Maathu? Is that even allowed?" The guard's expression changed into one of concern. I sighed.

"You don't really believe that crap they're feeding you, do you? That lamori are abominations and they need to be cleansed?"

"I don't want to believe it," Christiaan replied. "How could I? I grew up with Harvvi. He wasn't any different from me, that is until he started developing feelings for…men." He whispered the last word as if it were a sin to even talk about such things. "It's just that it's such a convenient excuse, you know? Otherwise, how else could regular people allow this to go on?"

"That's something you need to ask yourself," I said. "Christiaan, did your opinion of me change once you found out I was bonded to Commander Spock?" He shrugged.

"I don't understand how you can like men, yet you still performed all of those amazing deeds. Surely an abomination isn't capable of all that." I gave him a small smile. Perhaps I was starting to get through to him. Now it was time for an emotional approach. If there was one thing I excelled at, it was emotional appeal.

"Christiaan, I need your help. The Rejuvenator _didn't_ break the bond between me and Spock. I still want to be with him, very much." I tried to keep the longing out of my voice – no need to scare the guy any further.

"But…but how?" The guard was at a loss. "No one's ever survived the torture with a bond intact before."

"I faked my way through the torture." I informed him, almost proudly. "Spock's got Vulcan mind techniques that helped to shield me from the worst of it, at great risk to himself." Christiaan stared at me in disbelief, slowly comprehending that we had a connection that he could only dream of.

"You share your mind with him?" I nodded.

"I do. Except we are shielding ourselves right now, just in case I'm put back in the Chamber. The scanner could tell if we were communicating telepathically. Right now I can't feel him hardly at all. I know he's alive, but that's it. I have to make sure he hasn't been captured! The best way I know how to do that is to contact my ship. Will you help me gain access to my communicator at the very least?"

"Captain, I don't know…" Christiaan trailed off, the indecision written across his face. "To help you would be a great personal risk."

"Please," I begged. "What if our situations were reversed? What if this had happened to you and your wife? Wouldn't you want me to do anything I could to help you reunite with her?" Realization dawned on him at that moment, I could see it in his eyes. I had him now!

"Yes, of course I would." He stared at me, determined now that his mind was made up. "Captain…Jim, I've been so blind. I should've known there wasn't anything wrong with my brother and Maathu, or you and Commander Spock."

"Don't worry about that now," I said. "Just do what you can to right this wrong. If you get me safely to Spock, I will do all that I can to help your brother, and the others."

"It's a deal." We shook on it. "You still have to go to the meeting, I'm afraid," he reminded me. "I know that Chancellor Oreilli and Ambassador Worryn are the last people you want to see right now, but-"

"I know," I interrupted him. "I need to keep up appearances. Trust me, I can handle this." He nodded.

"Alright. Once you're in the meeting, I'll do what I can to locate your communicator. If I can, I'll even try to find out if Commander Spock is being held here."

"Sounds good to me." I shot him a grateful smile.

"Just get through the meeting without them suspecting anything, and I should be able to help you escape." I nodded.

"Thank you. You don't know what this means-"

"I think I have an idea." He chuckled. "Your devotion to Commander Spock is also part of your legend. Of course they screened it here so that we weren't made aware you were bondmates."

"Naturally," I said, rolling my eyes. Gamosian society certainly wasn't ready for that part of our story. Not yet, anyway... Christiaan's communicator beeped.

"We'd better get down there."

"Yeah," I agreed. "Don't want to arouse their suspicions." But the guard wasn't quite ready to leave.

"Jim, I'll be seeing my brother again, won't I?" I sighed.

"I hope so, Christiaan. I really hope so."

I tried to reassure him, but in truth I had no way of knowing what had happened to the captured lamori after I'd been tortured. Christiaan would more than likely see his brother again, now that he knew of his existence. But would Harvvi be just an empty shell if subjected to the Rejuvenator? Urgency filled my veins at that moment. Every second I delayed was time the lamori were at the mercy of their captors.

"We'd better go." Christiaan got the message, and I followed him out of the bathroom, down the corridor, and into the waiting turbolift. We were back on camera, and didn't speak again. The turbolift swiftly arrived at the ground level, and Christiaan led me to my destination. A look passed between us just before I entered the room. _Don't worry, Spock,_ I thought. _Help is on the way…_

Taking a deep breath, I strode into the grand audience chamber, where I was greeted by the smiling faces of the Overlords. This would be the real test of my acting abilities. For my sake and Spock's, I hoped I was up to the job.

End Ch. 6

A/N: Sorry I had to break this chapter in half but that's the way it goes. It was either that or wait until next week before I posted. The second half of the chapter will be in Kirk's POV as it is still a continuation of this one. School starts on Monday and it was all that I could do to get this up. Thank you for your patience!

P.S. The slashiness resumes in the next chapter, so you have that to look forward to!


	8. Doubts Part Two

Disclaimer: Star Trek belongs to Gene Roddenberry. The movie rights belong to J.J. Abrams and Paramount. Thanks to Zachary Quinto and Chris Pine for inspiring me to write about the young versions of Spock and Kirk!

A/N: School has started back up again. Sorry for the delay! Spirk reunion as promised!

Warning: There's mild use of the f-word, blame Kirk.

.~.

Ch. 7: Doubts – Part II

(Kirk POV)

My footsteps echoed ominously as I approached the conference table. Behind me, my security escort closed the audience chamber doors and they slammed shut with a resounding THUD. I jumped, not expecting the noise, but there wasn't a noticeable hitch in my step. Trying not to dwell on the fact that I was essentially caged in with the chancellor and ambassador of Gamus, I took a seat at the table directly across from the two leaders. They wore the same official garments as when I first met them on the Enterprise. Oreilli sported a long violet robe, no doubt a symbol of his wealth and power on Gamus. Ambassador Worryn wore an olive tunic with the intricate silver design belonging to the high priest religious caste. However, as they were both rather rotund, their clothes likened them to a couple of over-stuffed purple and green grapes. I had to bite my tongue to keep from laughing, as I doubted they would be appreciated being compared to fruit.

"Ah, Captain, it is good to see you." Oreilli simpered, shooting me his sleazy smile.

"It is good to see you and the ambassador as well," I said smoothly, remembering to bow respectfully in traditional Gamosian form.

"Do you know why we have called you here, Kirk?" Worryn asked. I shrugged. _You wanted to ascertain my status after the torture to see if you actually severed my bond with Spock. Duh._

"I was under the impression you wished to continue our talks concerning Gamus's entry into the Federation." Worryn shot me a thin smile.

"That's right. We have a few concerns that we were not able to discuss with you before your _unfortunate_ heart attack."

"It was unfortunate, wasn't it?" I said before I could stop myself. The ambassador's choice of words had struck a chord with me, as he often referred to the Gamosian lamori as 'unfortunates'. Worryn glanced at Oreilli as if to say, see, it's necessary to keep an eye on him. I knew I had to shape up_ real_ fast, as I was 'skating on thin ice', so to speak. "Now, gentlemen, what was it that you wished to discuss with me?" Oreilli took over. I noted that the ambassador subtly deferred to him, locking that information away for later use.

"We had just been granted access to the Federation last time we spoke. Your Starfleet Command had just confirmed it." This was a test if I ever heard one. If I said no, he would surely argue that Starfleet had already approved Gamus's entry, and perhaps could send me back to my room on claims I was suffering from memory loss. I knew nothing had been cleared by Starfleet so it wouldn't be harmful to play along with the Overlords in this case.

"Of course!" I shot both males a blinding, slow smile. "We had been looking forward to Gamus's inception into our league of planets for some time. Your planet's trade is quite valuable, you know."

"I have heard that," Oreilli chuckled. He glanced at Worryn, then back at me. "Good, Captain. I am glad we won't be running into any diplomatic complications." He nodded in approval, but I could tell that Worryn wasn't convinced of my loyalty to them. The ambassador whispered something to his ruler, who consented. The ambassador walked a ways off, then made a call on his communicator.

"I apologize for his rude behavior," said Oreilli.

"Think nothing of it," I insisted. "Now, what is it that you wished to ask me?"

"Our first concern has to do with our trade," Oreilli expanded. "You see, on Gamus, we give every married couple a discount on their taxes. This is beneficial to our society, as Gamosians must marry and form a love bond with their spouse in order to live a happy and fulfilling life. However, not every species belonging to the Federation is mandated to marry. Would we be allowed to issue the same sort of tax break for our Federation customers?" I sighed.

"I know marriage is vital to the success of your species, so I hesitate to answer this, but I doubt your 'married discount' would hold. You would be discriminating against customers who do not wish to marry. We're pretty big on equality in the United Federation of Planets. However, you'll have to take that one up with one of our Starfleet attorneys to find out for sure."

"I'm sure there are certain races within the Federation that could benefit from a marriage tax, the same as us," Worryn cut in, having returned from making his com. "Vulcans, for one."

"That's true, Vulcans do form lifelong attachments," I smoothly agreed. This guy was really going to have to up his game if he wanted me to slip up. Worryn almost looked disappointed by my lack of telling reaction. That is, until the door chimed.

"Come in," the ambassador ordered. The doors slid aside to reveal a scantily-clad Gamosian female, who was struggling to carry what appeared to be official documents. "Ah, Pennelope. Do come in! Captain Kirk, this is my… secretary." The young woman approached the table, bowing first to Oreilli, then Worryn, then me.

"It is nice to meet you, Captain Kirk." I smiled at her, wary of this new development. I knew that while the Chancellor held the most power, Worryn was not to be underestimated.

"The pleasure is all mine."

"I've heard so much about you," she gushed, approaching me at Worryn's urging. "You know, you're a hero of mine."

"No kidding." I laughed nervously as Pennelope ran her fingers through my hair.

"Feel free to enjoy my little gift, Captain," Worryn explained. "Think of it as a favor for all you have done to further Gamus's trade with the federation."

"Oh, I wouldn't want to make a move on your wife right in front of you. Even _I_ have better discretion than that!" I poked fun at myself, remaining ignorant as to Pennelope's true status among the Gamosians. I knew Worryn would want to correct me. He did. Men are so predictable…

"She is not my wife, Captain. My wife is at home with my children at the moment." I frowned slightly.

"But I thought Gamosians couldn't cheat on their spouses."

"It is not cheating," Oreilli jumped in. "Pennelope is incapable of a true love bond. Worryn's wife understands this. You see, Captain, we rescued Pennelope from her place among the unfortunates. We needed someone to take the menial job of secretary; who better than one who had no future? In return, we give her all the attention she craves. Isn't that right, Pennelope?" She giggled, settling down onto the chancellor's lap. He stroked her cheek, and she leaned in to his touch, shuddering at the physical contact.

"That's right, Chancellor." She proceeded to give him the beginnings of a lap dance, which made even _me_ a little uncomfortable to watch.

"No, Pennelope, you must attend Kirk." Oreilli shoved her away, as if already bored with her services. The rejected girl looked down at the floor, her cheeks flaming red. I knew she was treated as such every day. By now I had figured out that she used to be lamori, but her stay in the torture chamber and isolation had caused her to revert back to her most basic nature. They had done this to her, and it had to be righted somehow. I certainly couldn't allow their harmful practices to continue!

"That's not necessary, Chancellor," I said firmly. "I'm here on business, not pleasure."

"We insist, Captain," said Worryn. "Do you not find her beautiful?" Dammit, another test!

"How could I not?" I murmured. "Very well, when you put it that way…" I pulled Pennelope onto my lap. Now was not the time to arouse their suspicions and refuse the affections of a beautiful woman. "Pennelope. That is a pretty name," I soothed, caressing her face as I'd seen them do. "Can you show me where to sign these documents?"

"Right…right here, Captain," she breathed, motioning with her hand. I took the pen she offered me and proceeded to sign on the dotted line. The Gamosians hadn't even progressed to using PADDs yet. I hoped that I didn't have to sign the entire stack of papers she'd brought with her – my hand would fall off! Luckily, I only had to sign once.

"So, Captain, tell me more about Federation law," Oreilli prompted me. I had to fight to pay attention to his words, as Pennelope had started to rub her hips against mine. Wincing, I tried not to think about what Spock would do if he saw me now. Bonded or not, I was still a man. "Does the Federation employ the use of the death penalty?" I raised my eyebrows at that.

"Does Gamus?"

"Only in extreme cases," Worryn answered. "We only have a few people each year who commit crimes so atrocious we deem it necessary to take their life."

"No, I'm afraid the Federation doesn't employ the death penalty," I replied. Earth had not used such medieval methods since the mid 21st century. "We ship criminals off-world to penal colonies, where they can be rehabilitated and in most cases, successfully reintegrated into society."

"I see," said the chancellor. "So we would have to change our position on the death penalty, just because we joined the Federation?" I nodded.

"It's part of the deal. All Federation worlds are governed by the same basic laws." I whispered a request in Pennelope's ear. One Cardassian Sunrise, shaken, not stirred. I was going to need it if I was to keep up this charade! She nodded happily, and thankfully slid off my lap to go fulfill the drink order.

"Bored with Pennelope already?" Worryn's eyes scrutinized mine as the pleasure-girl left the room. I met his gaze, unflinching.

"Are you kidding? I just asked her to make me a drink. She does do that, right?" My tone was condescending, but I didn't care at the moment. The Overlords had such little respect for life forms they deemed below them! It was sick, really. Worryn glanced at Oreilli.

"Since you have cooperated so well with us, I believe it's time to be straight with you." I frowned. What did Oreilli mean by that?

"Please explain." I was getting fed up of important information being kept from me. But nothing could've prepared me for what the chancellor was about to say.

"Captain, your commander was so upset by your unfortunate heart attack that he experienced some… emotional distress. We had to sedate him to keep his violent tendencies under control." _Oh shit, they have Spock! _I schooled my features into an expression of mild concern, the concern a captain would have for his First.

"That doesn't sound like Spock at all," I commented, because I knew they expected me to say something. "Vulcans are a peaceful people. It's against their teachings to resort to violence except in matters of self-defense."

"Indeed," Oreilli agreed. "In fact, we found Mr. Spock's reaction to be so out of character for a Vulcan that it merited some research." He grinned evilly at me. "You'll never guess what we discovered."

"What's that?" I tried to keep my tone light.

"In regards to Vulcans resorting to violence, the only time such events have been recorded in recent history is when the life of their bondmate was threatened." _Fuck… _I guess he never got wind of Spock's violent reaction to me when I emotionally compromised him during the Nero Incident. We weren't bonded then, but we were pretty damn close. Still, this was, as Spock would say, a 'less than optimal situation'.

"Y-you don't say," I commented, trying to sound disinterested in this juicy little tidbit of information and failing miserably. I disguised my nerves with a cough. Dammit, I had to stay calm. They were gauging my reaction to this news, I couldn't let on that our bond was still going strong. Then all of our deception would have been for nothing! "I'm sure he was just worried about his superior officer. It wouldn't look good on Spock's record if he came back from a peace mission with his captain dead. Starfleet might believe that he desired the captaincy, and he took me out to get it." That story sounded somewhat believable, didn't it? Well, other than the fact that Starfleet knew that Spock would give his own life before allowing me to die, but the Overlords didn't need to know that!

"We both know that is not the reason Mr. Spock acted in the way that he did," Worryn gently corrected me. "Your bond was not severed as you would have us to believe. Do not bother to deny it, Captain. Your feelings betray you." I knew my current expression was not helping my case, as I was about to go into full out panic mode. I had to escape from this room somehow! I couldn't believe it - the Overlords had been toying with me all along. The questions and the pleasure-girl were all a set up to get me to reveal my feelings in regards to Spock. I knew I was going to face a subtle interrogation, but even I was amazed by just how deep their deception ran. _How could I have been so stupid?_

That was when I felt it, the gentle mental tap on my shields. Even that feather-light gesture inadvertently flooded me with elation, as the familiar presence of my bondmate threatened to overwhelm my senses. _Spock! He's here! _It was all I could do to refrain from shouting my joy as I slowly brought down my mental shields back to ninety percent. Spock's reassuring presence gradually infiltrated my senses as we flung open our mind link.

//Jim… I am close by.// Words couldn't express how awesome it felt to have him back in my head where he belonged. Not that he'd ever left, really – but I didn't want to experience that restrictive shield anytime soon. It had been a most mind-numbing experience - literally, one I did not wish to undergo again.

//Spock! I was so scared… what have they done to you?// I sensed his confusion.

//They have done nothing - I am unharmed at the moment. It is your well being with which I am concerned.// I just stared at the Overlords, who seemed not to realize I was communicating telepathically with Spock. They lied! They didn't have Spock at all. //We are in the midst of staging a rescue attempt. Dr. McCoy and Scotty beamed down with me to the surface.//

//It's about time! I'm being held in the-//

//We will retrieve you from the main audience chamber momentarily.// Huh. I forgot how thoroughly Spock conducts his research, especially when my life is in jeopardy. Guess the Overlords were right, in a way, about him. //Please stand back from the doors.//

"You can stop pretending now, Kirk," Oreilli sneered. "We know what you're concealing from us."

"Actually, I don't think you do," I countered. "Not everything, anyway." //Now, Spock, now!!//

I turned to watch the entrance, and sure enough, the intricate doors glowed an electric blue as they were vaporized from the outside. When the smoke cleared, there stood one very tight-fisted, determined Vulcan. He was flanked by my chief engineer and chief medical officer along with a few beefy security guards for good measure. They all had their phasers drawn, and Spock's was pointed directly at Oreilli's heart. Intimidating as they were, it's no wonder the Overlords raised their hands where my rescuers could see them. In particular, my bondmate's steely expression demanded respect of everyone around him. Because you don't fuck with Spock when he's angry. You. Just. _Don't. Not that I know this by experience or anything..._

"Dr. McCoy, please determine the medical status of the captain." Spock's voice was calm, but there was an edge to it that I recognized. It was the same edge I noticed whenever I was in the doghouse with Spock. Ooh, the Overlords would never know what hit them! My bondmate made direct eye contact with me, and I knew then that we would be getting out of here now that the Dream Team had been reunited.

"As if I would do anything but," said Bones, rolling his eyes. Spock didn't speak to me, he was in full out First Officer mode. I knew his informal addressing of me didn't mean he wasn't thrilled to see me – I could feel his happiness and relief at seeing me in one piece radiating through our bond. I always enjoyed watching Spock like this, he was the embodiment of efficiency. Bad ass Spock always put me in the mood, but now was certainly not the time for those kind of thoughts…

"Mr. Scott, disable the comm system," Spock continued issuing orders, motioning for his entourage to follow him inside the chamber. The security guards went to surround Chancellor Oreilli and Ambassador Worryn, who paled upon their arrival. In an ironic twist, the Overlords were now the hostages. They didn't even need any prodding, they just complied with my guards' orders, cowering in a corner of the room.

"With pleasure. It's good ta see ya again, Captain." Scotty cheerfully waved at me as he rewired the circuitry on audience chamber's comm system.

"Mr. Giotto, secure the doors." On Spock's orders, the man known to me as 'Cupcake' fiddled with the wall controls next to the entrance. Soon we were sealed safely inside the audience chamber thanks to the impregnable titanium emergency blast doors. Cupcake nodded at me, and I wondered how he managed to tag along as part of the rescue party.

Once Spock finished dishing out orders, he was free to focus his attention on me. I wasted no time.

"Spock, you found me!" //Missed you, t'hy'la.// I wasn't about to get all mushy, not out loud anyway. It wasn't ideal for my fearless Captain James T. Kirk image. But then again, I had just been mentally separated from Spock, and had endured a horrific ordeal involving torture. I could afford to show my feelings, dammit!

//And I you, Jim.//

//Thought so!// I grinned at him, and we quickly crossed the room heading toward each other. As I came closer, I was about to pull him into a bone-crushing hug when he held out a hand to stop me.

"Please, Jim." Predictably, both eyebrows took residence in his hair line at my bold action. It was fucking adorable. "Not in front of the Overlords." Chuckling at the mirth reflecting in his eyes, I relented, content to gaze at him instead. We both knew that if we touched now, we would have difficulty stopping. "However, I am remarkably pleased to see you." Shit, that was like Spock declaring that to the world that Vulcans actually had emotions. Perhaps the separation had been just as hard on him as it had on me… It was not a comforting thought, although his sentiment was.

Not to be outdone, Bones approached us and waved his medical scanner in front of my face. Luckily he wasn't carrying any hypos on his person, at least not that I could see anyway.

"Jim! How are you feeling? What in God's name did these bastards do to you?" The doctor glared at the Gamosian Overlords, who just stared defiantly back at him. They didn't look the slightest bit abashed.

"I'll be alright, Bones," I assured him, wincing as he pressed on my chest. "No permanent damage."

"Dammit, Jim, Spock told me everything," my CMO growled. "You are suffering from severe mental trauma, internal injuries, dehydration, and whole shitload of other medical complications. I can't even begin to list them all…"

"Then don't! I'll live," I insisted. "Spock can tell you I've healed enough to walk out of here."

"Spock?" Bones expectantly looked at my bondmate.

"What he speaks is the truth," my First replied. "However, once we have executed all of the steps of our plan, I must insist that Jim be beamed back to the ship for a full inspection." Oh, so _now_ I was Jim. Typical, Spock. Very typical.

"Oh fine, I'll go," I groaned, agreeing only because I knew we had more important things to discuss. Like how the hell we were going to handle this VIP Gamosian hostage situation. "So, what do we do now?"

"We stick to the plan," Scotty piped up. Spock and Bones nodded and suddenly I was out of the loop.

"By any chance, does anyone want to share the plan with me?" I said sarcastically.

"I'd really rather keep them in the dark about this," Bones worried, glancing over at the Overlords. "There's no telling if they have a way of transmitting information without us knowing."

"Spock can give me the low down. Right, Spock?" My Vulcan frowned.

"I am afraid I am unfamiliar with-"

"Just tell me the plan in your mind!" No offense to Spock, but this wasn't the greatest time for him to demonstrate his lack of knowledge concerning Terran colloquialisms. I didn't mean to snap at him, but we didn't have all the time in the world, and if he couldn't come up with the most logical solution to this problem, then I would help him out. Poor Spock must've been so worried about me that he'd fried some of his internal circuits. There was also the fact that we had yet to touch that was putting me on edge.

"Yes, of course." The tips of Spock's ears turned green. My embarrassed Vulcan proceeded to share the tale of how they were able to rescue me and what the final stages of their plan entailed.

//Although Dr. McCoy and I had initial differences on how to approach this quandary, we were eventually able to find some common ground. Our main priority, first and foremost, was your safety. It was not long before we were able to construct a plan that would enable us to not only free you from captivity but would allow the lamori some measure of freedom as well…//

Spock went on to detail their plan, and I was thankful that he and Bones had been able to work together at all. It hadn't started out that way, not by a long shot…

End Ch. 7

A/N: Thanks again for your patience!

P.S. Brittany Diamond just posted an epic analysis of Amok Time HERE: fanfiction . net /s/5105759/34/ Read it! Digest it! Love it!! Tell your friends!! I know I did.


	9. Rescue

Disclaimer: Star Trek belongs to Gene Roddenberry. The movie rights belong to J.J. Abrams and Paramount. Thanks to Zachary Quinto and Chris Pine for inspiring me to write about the young versions of Spock and Kirk!

A/N: Happy unofficial K/S Day everyone! It's the anniversary of the day Amok Time was aired, which was pretty much the birth of slash as we know it! If you haven't seen that episode, you should. It's just chalk full of goodies!

I finally got this chapter done. With school coming on, it's almost impossible to stay on top of that AND my fics but I will do my best. Thanks for your patience, and on with the show!

.~.

Previously, on Mission to Gamus

(Kirk POV)

//Although Dr. McCoy and I had initial differences on how to approach this quandary, we were eventually able to find some common ground. Our main priority, first and foremost, was your safety. It was not long before we were able to construct a plan that would enable us to not only free you from captivity but would allow the lamori some measure of freedom as well…//

Spock went on to detail their plan, and I was thankful that he and Bones had been able to work together at all. It hadn't started out that way, not by a long shot….

.~.

Ch. 8: Rescue

(Spock POV)

In the grand audience chamber, we currently held Chancellor Oreilli and Ambassador Worryn hostage. However, the situation was rather precarious. We were waiting on the_ Enterprise_ to re-establish communications with Starfleet. Without that, we had nothing to hold over the Overlords' heads, nothing to keep them from turning the tables on us. The situation had turned into a stand still. Oreilli had managed to trip a silent security alarm and we now had a contingent of Gamosian guards directly outside the entrance. Unfortunately, this cut off our escape route.

While we were waiting, I melded my thoughts with Jim's, giving him instant access to the events of the previous day. He was indeed fascinated with how his crew acted without his presence. Together, we watched as the crew of the _Enterprise_ attempted to work together in the absence of their captain. But we still had not physically touched, and through the meld, I could tell this was driving my bondmate up a wall…

.~.

One day earlier

_Spock arrived on the transporter pad to be met by an irate Bones. "Spock, you can't just leave Jim down on that godforsaken planet by himself!" The doctor shouted, folding his arms across his chest. "The poor man has enough abandonment issues to deal with. Why did you do it?" _

_The Vulcan could not believe that McCoy was actually questioning his decision. He certainly hadn't _wished_ to leave Jim there! Spock stepped off the pad, and watched as the transporter operator made a hasty retreat. (Everyone on board the ship had enough sense not to get in the way when the First Officer and the Chief Medical Officer argued.)_

"_I found it logical to follow the captain's orders, Doctor," Spock said, his tone dull. "He insisted that if I could find a way, I was to beam up to the ship and regroup with you." _

"_The hell with logic! You shouldn't have left him by himself," McCoy snarled. Spock seemed unaffected by the doctor's accusation, but watching the scene through the meld, Jim could tell otherwise. His eyes told all. Jim had become an expert at reading the emotion behind those dark eyes…_

"_I could not have rescued him alone. The captain wanted you to help me devise a plan that would allow us to not only rescue him, but the lamori as well," the Vulcan explained. "But if that is too difficult of a task for you to-" Bones interrupted him, growling,_

"_Why you green-blooded, inhuman-" Spock held up a hand before the doctor's voice grew any louder._

"_Please, Doctor. Every second we waste is one that the captain is at the mercy of the Overlords. He has been mentally tortured almost to his breaking point. In addition, we are shielding our bond in an attempt to fool the Gamosians that our bond has been severed. The captain is alive at this moment, but that is all I know. As acting captain, I am handling the situation to the best of my ability but it is most disconcerting not having Jim's presence in my mind. Also, if you believe that my lack of emotional display in any way means that I am not bothered by leaving Jim without protection, then you are sordidly mistaken." _

_Bones softened as he realized Spock slipped up and addressed their captain by his first name. Spock hardly ever did that, at least not while they were on duty. The Vulcan must be really rattled if he made such a mistake, as Spock was nothing but careful about his words._

"_Alright, Spock. We'll get him back," the doctor promised. "Just let me call Scotty, Uhura, and Giotto. Between the five of us, we should be able to come with something." Spock nodded._

"_Thank you, Doctor. That would be most logical."_

_.~._

_Soon, the heads of the medical, science, engineering, communications, and security departments had assembled in conference room one. Scotty was adamant that they rescue their captain as soon as possible, but Spock and Uhura insisted that they take the time to construct a foolproof plan, one that would achieve both of their objectives. Scotty wouldn't calm down until Uhura gently patted him on the arm and shot him a 'you better shape up' look. Scotty shaped up, and Bones sure did appreciate it. He would have to thank Uhura later. Giotto, known to Kirk as 'Cupcake', just sat quietly and listened. Spock gathered that he was more concerned about his captain than he cared to admit, but then again, they all were. _

"_Spock, why don't you go first?" Bones offered. "As much as I hate to admit it, you are the most intelligent of all of us here. I'm sure your overly large brain has already concocted several possible solutions." If Spock had been human, he might've preened at the compliment._

"_Indeed I have, Doctor. I believe it is necessary to sabotage Gamus's communications system. If Lieutenant Uhura can assist us in broadcasting a message across the planet, we can alert the citizens of the atrocities being performed upon their own kind. It is my hope this will bring sympathy for the lamori, and will have them call for changes to be made in their society. Also, Ensign Chekov will continue to attempt to bring the long range communications online, so that we may inform Starfleet of our situation."_

"_That's all very well, but what about the captain?" Scotty cut in._

"_I am getting to it, Mr. Scott," said Spock. His eyes glinted with determination. McCoy couldn't help noticing how exhausted Spock looked at that moment. "We will need to create a diversion to draw the Overlords' attention. This is where you come in, Giotto. You will have your security contingent beam down, cause a disruption, while I, Dr. McCoy, Lt. Uhura, and Mr. Scott infiltrate the system, play the message, and locate and rescue the captain. The man known to Kirk as 'Cupcake' nodded, deep in thought. _

"_Sounds logical to me," Uhura mused, leaning just a wee bit closer to Mr. Scott. "Better yet, it actually sounds doable." She nudged the doctor in the arm._

"_It's a good plan, Spock," McCoy admitted. "But it still needs a little work." Spock looked affronted at that. "I don't believe that the Gamosian citizens will stand up for the lamori unless they are given an incentive. They seem pretty content with their little slice of faux paradise." McCoy shook his head. "But if we mandate that the mistreatment and torture of lamori must stop before Gamus will be allowed to join the Federation, perhaps that will spur the citizens into taking action."_

"_Your logic is sound," Spock agreed. "The torture of the lamori must cease before the planet can be granted Federation status. However, I must inform you that I would have come to that same conclusion eventually."_

"_Yes, I am quite aware of that, Spock," McCoy growled. "Your brain astounds me! But you can't just accept help when it's given. Well, Spock, that's understandable. It's difficult for a computer to accept that-"_

"_Stop it, both of ye!" Scotty folded his arms across his chest. "We cannae save the captain if ye keep fighting like that." Both Spock and McCoy had the decency to look abashed. Well, McCoy did. Spock just looked indifferent. Uhura grinned at her boyfriend, impressed by his impassioned speech. "Now, Mr. Spock, would ye care to elaborate about this diversion of yours?"_

"_I had not thought that far ahead," Spock muttered. "General mayhem should suffice." _

"_I'll figure something out sir," Giotto timidly spoke up. He was very aware that Spock knew that he effectively pounded the commander's then future-bondmate in a bar fight before Kirk joined Starfleet. For this reason, he had always been a little afraid of Spock, especially after his display of Vulcan strength whilst emotionally compromised. "I'll have my men stage a spectacular fight between them, and then demand to speak with the chancellor and ambassador. We'll buy you time to rescue Jim, err… I mean the captain." _

_Spock raised an eyebrow. Perhaps the rumors surrounding Cupcake were true – maybe he secretly had a thing for Jim. It was rather laughable, really. Spock was in no way threatened by the chief of security as his marriage to Jim was quite stable._

"_Very well," Spock agreed, letting Giotto's Freudian slip go. "I will draft and record the message to the Gamosians, keeping in mind what Dr. McCoy suggested. While I am doing that, the rest of you will brief your departments, then find some time to rest. You will have twelve earth hours before you are to report. Is this sufficient?"_

"_Angels and ministers of mercy, I actually agree with Spock on something!" McCoy declared, raising his hands heavenward. _

"_Really, Doctor. There is no need to get excited. This is a rare anomaly," Spock noted. "I find this unusual circumstance to be quite agreeable."_

"_You would," McCoy shot back. Recognizing the signs, the rest of the meeting's participants quietly slipped from the room once McCoy and Spock began to fight. "This had better work, Spock. From what you told me, Jim needs immediate medical attention."_

"_Believe me, Doctor, I am aware of this." Spock's eyes once again revealed the depth of his worry for his best friend and bondmate. _

"_Of course you are," McCoy rolled his eyes. He should have known. "It's that blasted bond – I think Jim's injuries may be wreaking havoc on your system as well. Spock, you look like you could use some rest." McCoy realized. "How do you feel?"_

"_Physically, I feel fine," Spock said in truth. "My mental status is unimportant at the moment, as rescuing Jim is my first priority. I will not rest until he is safe. However, I believe I will use this time to meditate."_

"_Fine," McCoy spat. "Don't listen to me now. But when we get Jim back, both of you will be spending the night in sickbay. Got it?"_

_"That is acceptable." Spock tilted his head slightly toward McCoy, aquiescing to his fate._ _Now, Doctor, if you do not mind, I shall endeavor to compose my message."_

"_Don't let me hold you up," McCoy muttered._

"_As I have superior strength compared to that of humans, I do not believe that is possible, Spock deadpanned. "Doctor." He nodded at a flabbergasted McCoy. The Vulcan exited the conference room, intent on the task at hand. He was too far away to hear the barrage of colorful metaphors that flew out of the doctor's mouth._

_.~._

_In the meld, Jim watched as the scene changed._

_Leaving Chekov and Sulu on board to tackle the long-range communications problem on the _Enterprise_, Spock, McCoy, Scotty, Uhura, and Giotto all beamed down to a deserted location just outside the capitol city of Bhapteesta. (Spock wore a hat over his ears as to not look so conspicuous. After all, the MM could still be searching for the loose Vulcan.) The security contingent followed them momentarily. All eleven Starfleet personnel proceeded with the afore mentioned plan, heading straight for the city and, presumably, Captain Kirk. _

_Almost immediately after they were allowed into the city, the redshirts started arguing amongst themselves. As the argument escalated, Cupcake fake-punched one of his subordinates, who retaliated with a swift drop kick to the groin. As Cupcake moaned in pain, a crowd of Gamosian civilians began to gather as they'd been attracted by the noise. This gave the smaller landing party a chance to slip away. _

_Spock had already located the com center -Level D, room one- during his flight from captivity. After a few wrong turns, those in the small search party were able to locate their desired destination. Once they arrived, Spock took out the unsuspecting lone guard with a swift pinch to the neck. Cupcake and Scotty caught the guard before he fell, and dragged him inside the com room. Scotty then took a seat at one of the computers and began to search for anything that would lead them to Kirk. McCoy looked around furtively, and seeing no one, closed the door and turned to Spock to find out what to do next. With Uhura's help, Spock was already accessing the com network. Working together, it wasn't long until they successfully hacked into one of the main channels. _

"_Are you able to play my message on a continuous loop?" Spock asked. She shook her head. _

"_The system isn't advanced enough. Not only that, but I have yet to figure out how to broadcast only the one single channel with your message. I'll have to reprogram the system to disregard the other channels. I can do it, but it will take some time. I request permission to stay behind and continue working, sir."_

"_Permission granted." Spock allowed it, but only on the condition of one of their security guards stayed with her. Uhura wasn't happy about being assigned protection, but she agreed._

"_Mr. Scott, have you found the location of the captain?" Turning around from his computer console, the Scot shook his head._

"_He isn't listed anywhere in the system. It's like he doesn't even exist!" _

"_I know he still exists," Spock countered through tight lips. "I could pinpoint his location with the bond but it might put him at risk if he outwardly reacts to the stimulation."_

"_Well, Spock, it seems your plan wasn't quite foolproof after all," McCoy pointed out. The Vulcan raised his right eyebrow._

"_Doctor, I never implied that-" Spock froze midsentence as someone overrode the door from the outside. It snapped open with a whoosh, revealing a single yet determined male Gamosian guard. Phasers drawn, Spock, McCoy, Giotto, and Scotty approached the intruder. The man's eyes widened at the sight of their Starfleet uniforms._

"_Don't shoot!" The man cried. "My name is Christiaan. I mean you no harm! I want to help you rescue James Kirk. He's in the main audience chamber right now, meeting with the Overlords." Spock blinked, not sure whether or not to trust this man. Vulcan instincts told him he could trust him, but Spock much preferred to rely on fact than feeling._

"_It could be a trap," growled the paranoid McCoy. _

"_There's only one way to know for sure," Uhura said grimly, turning around in her seat to greet the intruder. "Spock?" The commander instantly knew what she was referring to._

"_Sir, if you would allow me…" The Vulcan advanced toward the Gamosian known as Christiaan. _

"_What are you going to do to me?" Christiaan glanced nervously at Spock. _

"_Our minds. I will meld them together to see if you speak the truth," Spock explained. When the Gamosian hesitated, the Vulcan continued, adding," it is not painful as long as you relax your thoughts."_

"_Go ahead," the guard consented, shutting his eye tight as if that would keep out the intruding force. Spock placed his hand on the Gamosian's meld points and carefully entered his mind. It was not long before Spock broke the meld. The Gamosian shuddered from the meld's after-effects. _

"_He is being truthful," Spock announced, much to everyone's relief. "He knows where the captain is being held, as he escorted him there himself just twenty minutes ago. I also discovered an interesting bit of information. Christiaan is also the brother to Harvvi, whom we encountered in the caves." Bones raised his eyebrows._

"_Well, I'll be damned. It's a small world."_

"_Please believe me when I say I had no idea my brother was still alive until I met your captain," Christiaan pleaded. _

"_We don't have time for all that," McCoy protested, throwing up his hands in exasperation. "We're not blaming you for what happened here. But we need to rescue Jim now! Will you take us to him?" McCoy voiced what Spock had been dying to say. _

"_Of course," said Christiaan, gathering himself together. He shook off his guilt, he could deal with it later. The Gamosian guard opened the door, and the landing party filed out behind him, save for Uhura and one of the ensign redshirts. _

"_Be careful, lassie!" Scotty called after his girlfriend. _

"_Ugh, not you too!" Bones moaned. _

_On their way to the old-fashioned turbolift, Giotto joined them, having gotten away from the rest of the security, who was causing the disturbance outside._

"_Spock, hurry up!" McCoy barked as the Vulcan struggled to keep up._

"_I regret my slowness of pace, Doctor, but I have just re-established my mental contact with Jim," the commander informed them. "It has taken some of my energy." The doctor rolled his eyes, yanking Spock into the turbolift with the rest of their party. _

"_Why didn't you just say so?"_

"_I believe I did," Spock said wryly, as the old turbolift began its swift climb. They took the elevator to one of the highest levels in the building. Their guide led them to the audience chamber and Spock promptly melted the doors with his phaser. He spotted Jim right away but refrained from running straight toward him. It was difficult, but Spock was a firm believer in professional behavior whilst on duty. But oh, did he wish to touch him, to hold him! The rest of the group filed inside the room, and they were soon sealed inside the hall with the Overlords. _

Jim came out of the meld, disoriented and breathing hard. He turned to me and we shared our affection through our mind link. Deep melds always left Jim somewhat disoriented, but he said he didn't mind a bit. Especially not when I shared my energies with Jim to calm him down from the initial deep meld. Somewhat calmer, Jim turned to me.

"Now what, Spock?"

No sooner had those words left his lips did the invasion begin. Windows exploded - shards of glass rained down upon us as we tried to protect our heads. Representatives of the Mind Manipulators burst in through the windows, dressed in black combat gear. Jim reacted instantly, reaching for his phaser and stunning the unlucky guard who happened to aim for my chest. While I fought off the MM, I could not help but be impressed by Jim's abilities. Normally he was quick and efficient, but he had just come out of a meld. How had he done it?

//Adrenaline.// My bondmate responded. //Or maybe I'm just powered by love.//

I hadn't even realized I'd been projecting those thoughts! I must be in more need of rest than I previously believed.

//Do not overexert yourself, t'hy'la.// I knew my words of caution would do absolutely no good, yet I projected them anyway. This action was most illogical for a Vulcan, but as I am half human, I didn't agonize over it like I once might have.

As I defended myself and Jim with my phaser, my mind was figuring out the mystery behind the MM's timely arrival. How had they come at us from above? That was when I heard the hum of a machine outside, known to 20th century earth as a 'helicopter'. I gathered Oreilli's secret police had used the primitive helicopter as a means to land on top of the building. If I had not been so deeply involved in the meld with Jim, I would've heard the helicopter coming. But now was not the time to dwell on such things. What is, is.

Jim, Scotty, McCoy, Giotto, Christiaan and I fended off our opponents to the best of our abilities. But the MM just kept pouring in. As yet another misguided Gamosian crashed through a window, I noticed he had a long, durable cable attached to his backpack. It was retractable, similar to the Starfleet issued parachute packs. This could prove to be useful! I knew Jim was thinking the same thing.

At that moment, one of the MM took it upon himself to detain me. That was a mistake, as I had my phaser already drawn, set to stun. He was out cold before he took three steps toward myself and Jim. Beside me, Jim was a flurry of action. Even though one of his opponents had caused him to drop his phaser - _why did he always do that_ – Jim managed to fend off his opponents using his fists and quick wit. He was a flurry of precise motion, attacking our adversaries left and right. I was in awe of him even though he'd said many times he'd rather watch me employ the Vulcan martial arts technique known as Suss Mahn. My bondmate always said I looked unfathomably graceful whenever I sparred with him using this technique, which usually progressed into other recreational activities for bondmates. How I hoped I would see those days again!

All around us, chaos reigned as the MM relentlessly fought to bring us down. But as the minutes trickled by, the number of MM arriving via window stopped. Scotty and Giotto were able to stun many of their opponents, as was McCoy. They had sustained only minor scratches. Christiaan didn't fare quite as well, his hand was bleeding from a phaser burn but McCoy was bandaging the wound as best he could.

"Whew, that was close," Jim breathed after he took down the last of the MM. He only had eyes for me. "You okay, Spock?" He could've asked me through the link but for some reason, he deemed it necessary that everyone heard.

"I am fit for duty, sir." Jim grinned at me.

"Good." Then he finally noticed our injured party. "What about you, Christiaan? That hand looks painful."

"I'll live, Captain," said the Gamosian guard. He had proved himself to be a worthy ally.

"Thanks for helping us out," said Kirk. "I'm not going to forget my promise about your brother. We just need more time!" Christiaan nodded in acceptance. He knew that my bondmate would keep his word.

Kirk glanced around the room, as if truly noticing everyone for the first time. It was at this moment when he realized Giotto was among his rescuers.

"Woah! Cupcake, you came!" Kirk exclaimed. "I must say, I'm deeply touched by your gesture."

"Just doing my duty, sir," Giotto growled at the appearance of Kirk's wide smirk. I could tell he and Jim were about to get in an argument, but were thankfully interrupted by Mr. Scott's timely discovery.

"Everyone, look over here!" Scotty pointed to a far corner of the chamber, where the Overlords had been cowering. There was no one to be seen.

"They must have escaped using another exit. It is the only logical explanation, as Gamus has not yet discovered the use of beaming technology," I concluded. I pointed toward the emergency exit, located in the back far corner of the room. We had not noticed it before.

"Dammit," McCoy swore. "I wanted to make those sons of bitches pay!"

"My thoughts exactly, Bones," Kirk agreed. "But not with violence. There are other ways of humiliating a man." Jim's tendency to lean toward non-violent solutions had come from living with a Vulcan for five years. We tended to rub off on each other quite a bit.

That was when I heard the drill, coming from just outside the blast doors.

"Captain, they are breaking through the blast doors!" Jim paled at that.

"I thought those doors were supposed to be indestructible!" Just then, the doors caved and the MM burst inside. Jim had only one thought – getting me and the rest of his crew to safety. With me watching his back, he dove for cover, grabbed one of the stunned guard's packs, and put it on. I knew at once how he intended us to escape.

"Jim, go!" Bones had noticed Jim's pack as well. "We'll hold them off."

"No, Bones." He protested. "I'm not leaving you guys!"

"Jim." McCoy winced as phaser fire singed his arm. "They're after you and Spock because you are lamori. We're going to lead them away from you."

//The emergency exit, Jim. They have an escape route.// I expounded. //It is a perfectly logical plan to split up.// Jim sighed.

//You're right, Spock. I don't like it, but you're right. Besides, I want to get you to safety now! I can't chance one of us having to endure that torture again so soon.//

"For heaven's sake, man, take the leap of faith!" Our CMO yelled at Jim.

"Fine. Take it easy, Bones." Jim Kirk does not do goodbyes, McCoy and I knew this from experience.

"You too." And then he rushed back into the fray. Jim and I managed to sneak up to one of the windows, and he prepared the cable, tightly hooking it to the ledge.

//Are you with me, Spock?// He asked as I climbed onto his back.

//Always.// I squeezed my arms around his middle, just tight enough not to hurt him but enough to hold on.

//Awesome.// Kirk climbed out of the window, which was easier said than done since he was carrying a Vulcan on his back. Jim looked at me, and I looked at him. Jim nodded.

"Here goes nothing!"

And then we plummeted into the abyss below.

A/N: Thanks for reading! I've left you with a cliff-hanger – literally! Hahaha. Now I'm gonna go watch Amok Time and celebrate K/S day!

Live long… and prosper!

P.S. Thanks to _piratecollegegraduate_ for a wonderful day of K/S fun! We saw XI in IMAX, with all of our giggling, it's no wonder they didn't kick us out of the theater.


	10. Flight

Disclaimer: Star Trek belongs to Gene Roddenberry. The movie rights belong to J.J. Abrams and Paramount. Thanks to Zachary Quinto and Chris Pine for inspiring me to write about the young versions of Spock and Kirk!

A/N: This chapter is rather action-packed, so be ready for that!

.~.

Ch. 9: Flight

(Kirk POV)

"Oof!" I landed on top of my First, who broke our fall. Gazing up at the towering Gamosian conference center, I could hardly believe that we'd just repelled all the way down from the thirtieth story or so.

//Are you hurt, Spock?//

//Jim, this is highly inappropriate behavior. We are on duty!// _Did Spock just make another joke? Because our situation is not very funny. _Glancing around, I noticed we'd drawn the attention of a large crowd of glaring townsfolk. We were about to be surrounded by angry phaser-toting Gamosians! There were too many of them for us to take out in a fight, and neither of us were in any condition to outrun them, not when they were pouring in on all sides.

//You have got to be kidding me! What did we ever do to them?// I inwardly groaned. Spock then realized the severity of the situation and shoved me behind him. //Dammit, Spock, don't do that!// I protested.

//It is only logical that I protect the captain of the _Enterprise_.//

//That is BS and you know it.// Things were looking rather grim as we estimated the number of opponents. Spock calculated the odds of escaping unscathed were 531.5 to one. I knew he was only trying to be helpful but sometimes I really just didn't want to know. Especially when said odds had me wondering if I actually had found myself stuck in a no-win scenario.

Just when it seemed it was all over, a group of redshirts came swarming towards the Gamosians, phasers firing set to stun. Most of the townsfolk turned and jumped into the fray, but a few kept running towards us.

//Quick, Spock, start fighting with me!// I was almost out of ideas, and I didn't know if this would work. Without warning, I shoved Spock away from me.

"Yeah, Vulcan, what do you mean you want the captaincy?" I snarled. "It's mine and no one's going to take it from me, not even you!"

//Jim, no one will believe that I want the captaincy.//

//Just roll with it, Spock.// Vulcans! They always tend to over think everything.

"Captain, I have no desire to remain on your ship. You humans are a waste of my time." Spock shoved me back, so I shouted,

"I hate your guts, Commander!" //If we can get them to come closer…//

//Indeed.// "I despise your intestines as well!" Spock actually raised his voice in mock anger. We turned to the Gamosian couple, who had lowered their phasers in confusion. After all, we didn't fit the propaganda picture of two men madly in love.

"You, c'mere." I motioned to the female, who uncertainly approached me. "Do you think I'd make a better captain than him?" I smiled my trademark Kirk grin and caused her to stammer,

"W-well, sir, I can't rightly say. I don't know either of you." I shrugged.

"That may be, but if you had to choose?"

"I'd pick you, sir," the girl answered honestly. I could tell she was a bit afraid of Spock; at least I'd been nice to her. I smirked, glancing over at Spock, who quirked an eyebrow.

"That is a small sample of the population, Captain. Allow me. You, sir, we need your assistance," said the Vulcan. "What are your feelings on the matter?" The man walked slowly towards us.

"Uh, I think you would both be fine." Then Spock injected,

"Pardon my intrusion, but you have a multi-legged creature on your shoulder." Predictably, Spock gave him a nerve pinch. I held onto the struggling girl until Spock nerve pinched her as well.

"Now what?" Spock asked as he gently deposited the unconscious bodies behind a shrubbery.

"I think we should head for the cornfields – they'll never find us there." Spock shook his head.

"I disagree. We should stay in the city – we are bound to find someone trustworthy to hide us, someone sympathetic to the Federation."

"I don't think so," was my stubborn reply. "I don't trust these citizens. There is likely to be a reward out for our capture and people would snitch on us. Besides, I know cornfields are a safe place to hide. Back home in Iowa, I used to hide there all the time. Spock, I need you to trust me. Please!"

"Very well," Spock relented. I could tell he wanted to debate me further, but he decided it would be easier just to trust me. "Shall we go?" We stood up, and were sighted by the Mind Manipulators.

"Hey! Stop them!" Cryyos, head of the MM shouted. He pulled out his communicator and called for backup.

"Oh, shit, we gotta run!" I grabbed Spock's hand and we ducked behind a dome-topped structure to avoid phaser fire. The game of cat and mouse continued until the MM had chased Spock and I to the outskirts of Bhapteesta. As we ran for cover, dark clouds began to gather in the sky. Without Gamus's blazing sun, the planet seemed rather cold and dull. Not to mention that it was much too dark for the middle of the day.

//We're almost there.// I reassured my bondmate as we neared the edge of the cornfields. I would turn on my flashlight but I didn't want to give away our position.

//Hurry, Jim.// Spock urged as phaser fire flew over their heads. We ducked in between rows of corn just before the barrage of phaser fire hit. I pushed Spock in front of me so that I could protect him from behind.

After a few minutes of running, we looked back behind us.

//Did we lose them?// I asked.

//I believe so.// Spock answered. //I cannot pick up on any noise within a half mile radius.//

"Whew," I exhaled, slowing to a stop. "We'll be safe now, at least for awhile." Breathing hard, we sat down to rest.

"I must caution you that we may not be as safe as you have been led to believe. It is not logical that the MM would simply give up the chase. They may try and alternative approach."

"Relax, Spock. These fields go on for miles. It would be difficult for them to locate us."

"You are too overconfident as always, t'hy'la." My heart swelled as Spock sent his affection via our bond.

"Spock." We had been busy evading the enemy we hadn't had any time to ourselves. I scooted forward with every intention of embracing my bondmate but Spock held out his hand to stop me.

"Not yet." Spock's voice was low.

"Yes, yet," I breathed. "I can tell you're exhausted, Spock. You can't shield that from me completely. I think you need some TLC." I held out my two fingers and met Spock's in a Vulcan kiss. Spock involuntarily closed his eyes at the sensation, shuddering as I trailed my fingers over his hand.

"Jim."

"Yes, Spock?"

"As pleasurable as this is, now is not the time." I could tell it took all of Spock's control to pull his hand away from mine.

"Why not?" I whined.

"I just picked up the sound of helicopters heading this way!" I paled at that.

"I don't want you to have to run much more, Spock. I know you are favoring your right leg." Spock glared at me. Apparently his shielding techniques weren't very effective if his bondmate could sense his pain.

"As you know, Vulcans are more than capable of functioning when physical discomfort is-" He was cut off by the roar of the helicopters. The two choppers approached from the direction of the city. When they turned on the spotlights, I knew we were in trouble.

//Uh oh, we're in trouble.// The blazing light would discover us eventually. We couldn't run from them forever, especially since Spock wasn't in prime condition. I wasn't exactly feeling my best either.

//It would be most logical to run into the center of the fields where the cornstalks are tall and uncut.//

//No arguments there.// I agreed.

Grabbing Spock's hand, we made a beeline for better cover. It wasn't long before the cornstalks increased in height, hiding us in plain sight from the helicopter pilots. However, our shade wouldn't be much help when the choppers approached, as the wind produced by the machines would blow the stalks over like a pile of dominoes.

//Jim, we cannot hide here forever.// Spock pointed out as the helicopters swarmed overhead. The blinding spotlights swept the corn rows at random, much to Spock's chagrin. If there had been a pattern, we could avoid our pursuers easily. But as it was, we never knew exactly where the spotlight would fall.

As Spock and I crouched low to the ground, we huddled together as the wind from the helicopters caused us to shiver. I leaned closer to Spock's warmth, and our arms automatically snaked around each other. As much as I felt safe in my bondmate's embrace, I knew I could no longer risk his life at the expense of mine.

//I think we should split up.//

//I do not believe that is a logical idea. There is strength in numbers.// Spock countered.

//That's true, but it makes sense for one of us to be caught instead of both of us.// I was grasping at straws, trying to shield Spock from discovering my true intentions behind this plan.

//Jim, I am not an idiot. I am aware that when we split up you plan to draw attention to yourself in order to allow me a fighting chance.// _Am I really that predictable?_

//But…//

//Do not bother to deny it, Jim.// His telepathic voice was warm. //We are not parting ways; I am remaining by your side, as I always have done, and will continue to do. I will not give our opponents the opportunity to capture and torture you again.//

//I understand that, Spock, but you know I couldn't live with myself if you were tortured.// I shivered at that and Spock laid his head on my shoulder. //Especially with your defenses not at maxium. And besides, I'm the captain. I could easily order you to run the other way.// I felt Spock's mild amusement at that statement.

//But you would not give that order, as I would surely disobey it.// My shoulders slumped. I swear, at times my bondmate could be almost as stubborn as me!

//No, I wouldn't order you to do that, Spock.// He called me on that one. My damn Vulcan is almost always able to outsmart me. //Wouldn't want to put a blemish on your spotless record.//

//Almost spotless record.// Spock corrected. We both recalled the incident five years ago that led to Spock losing control of his emotions and my throat almost being crushed. //We will protect each other, as it was for the shieldmates of old on Vulcan.//

//Sounds awesome.// I held out my first and Spock bumped it with his. Near the beginning of our deep space mission, I had introduced the art of the fist bump to my First. He protested at first, insisting it was an illogical action that served no purpose. But he came around – eventually. Nowadays, it was sort of a tradition for us. I loved it 'cause it was fun, and Spock loved it because he got to touch my hand.

//Spock, are we relatively safe right now?//

//For the moment.// The machines still buzzed overhead, but they were off in the distance.

//Good. I'm gonna call Uhura and see how much progress she's made.//

//Do it quickly, Jim. The helicopters may change direction at any time.// Spock's arms reluctantly released me, leaving me free to whip out my communicator. I flicked it open.

"Kirk to Uhura! Come in, Uhura!" I had to shout to be heard over the cacophony of the machines mixed in with the wind.

"This is Lieutenant Uhura." I had never been so glad to hear her voice! Unfortunately I could barely hear her. However, Spock could hear her just fine, and as he thought about her words they were transmitted to me through the bond.

"Uhura, have you re-opened communications to Starfleet?"

"I'm afraid not yet, Captain." She sounded a tad dejected. "But it shouldn't be too much longer. I'm working as fast as I can. Where are you? Are you and Spock alright? I'm picking up some interference around your signal."

"Spock and I are fine. We're hiding out in the cornfields. Our location is safe for the moment, but you better hurry. The Overlords know we're out here. They sent helicopters after us and.." I trailed off as I witnessed something you don't see every day.

"Holy _shit_! The helicopters are spewing jets of _fire_!" I yelled into my communicator as I watched the unlucky cornstalks ignite. Through the bond, I felt Spock's disbelief as he watched the spray of fire fall onto the brittle, dry stalks. There was also mild disgust at such a waste of food supply, and a fear for my safety.

//Spock, how is it the Overlords happen to have helicopters that spew fire at their disposal?//

//I believe this is how the Overlords created the food shortages that led to the planet-wide distrust of lamori.// I couldn't even begin to make sense of that one. The Overlords would sabotage their own crop, just so it looked like the lamori were barbarians and needed to be cleansed? But now was not the time to dwell on the illogic of Gamosian society.

//Jim, it may be rather difficult for us to extricate ourselves from our current situation.//

//Difficult, but not impossible. We'll get out of this.// I assured Spock. //We've been in worse situations before.//

//I am aware of that fact.//

"Captain. Captain?" I'd been so busy telepathically speaking with Spock, I'd forgotten about Uhura!

"Sorry, Lieutenant. What is it?"

"Captain, helicopters don't spew fire," Uhura reminded me.

"Well, these ones sure do!" I cried. "Tell the _Enterprise_ to beam Spock and I up as soon as they get the transporters operating, ok?"

"I will," she promised. "Be careful, Jim."

"You too, Nyota. Kirk out." I shut my communication device, clipping it to my utility belt.

//Do you still believe the cornfields are a safe place to hide?// Now was not the time for my bondmate to be issuing an 'I told you so'.

//That's not helping, Spock.// I chided him. //I didn't exactly figure the fire-shooting helicopters into the equation. My bad! I should've know to expect that.//

//I apologize. My remark was unnecessary.//

//And sarcastic. You've been hanging around me too long, Spock. You're starting to pick up my habits.//

Our mental banter was cut short by the roar of the helicopters, as they turned in unison and headed in our general direction. I helped Spock to his feet. We started running away from the machines, but they gained on us rather quickly. The chill of the approaching wind raised the hairs on my neck as the cornstalks bent over behind us. I glanced back to see just how much distance was between us and the machines, which was a mistake. As I was not watching the space in front of me, I tripped over a stalk of corn and fell flat on my face.

//Ow.// My right ankle throbbed. It wasn't broken, just bruised, but even that hurt like a bitch.

//Jim!//

//Keep going, Spock. I'll catch up.//

//I will not-//

//That's an order, Commander.// Reluctantly, Spock continued on without me. I imagine the only reason he agreed to do so was because _he_ believed that he could lead the danger away from _me_. Unfortunately, only one of the machines continued on after Spock, and the other slowed down to search for me. I staggered to my feet, only to duck and roll to avoid a spray of fire directed exactly at the spot that my body had been occupying seconds before. These guys really meant business! I continued to dodge this way and that, somehow staying a few steps ahead of the fire. Smoke stung my eyes, making it difficult for me to see the already dark path in front of me. My lungs burned as I gasped for air. From time to time, I crouched down to gulp a breath of fresh air not so polluted by the smoke.

I fought on, spurned by the comfort of Spock's life-force in the back of my mind. He kept promising to return for me, once he shook off his machine. I only hoped that I was still alive when that time came. For all I knew, I was running in circles, that the helicopter pilot was simply toying with me for the hell of it.

I could not be sure how much time had passed before Spock contacted me.

//Jim!//

//Spock!// I was so relieved to hear him.

//Jim, I have managed to evade my helicopter.//

//Great.// I called as I changed directions once again in an attempt to evade being singed by the flames. //I can't say the same for myself, I'm afraid.//

//Stay in your general vicinity. I will find you, t'hy'la.// I put on a burst of speed, trying to locate Spock through our bond.

//Spock, it's not safe! Stay away! There's smoke everywhere.//

//No, it is not safe. And you are caught in the middle of the hazard.// My bondmate's concern almost overwhelmed me. Whoever said that Vulcans didn't feel certainly had never been bonded to one.

//Spock, if you find a way out of the cornfield, you take it.// He didn't reply.

//Jim, I cannot take a direct path towards you. I must take a roundabout route.//

//Be careful.// The bond allowed him to navigate towards me as I was able to lose the machine on my tail.

We met about five minutes later, in a patch of cornstalks untouched by the fire. The smoke was at its thinnest here, so I could see Spock's anxious features as we ran towards each other.

//Spock! I was so afraid for you.// I pulled his trembling form towards mine and his arms tightened around me.

//Jim. You have brought me a life of great happiness. I am proud to have been your t'hy'la.// I frowned as I absorbed his air of defeat.

//Spock, what's got you talking like that?// He bowed his head.

//There is no way out of the cornfield, the fire has spread enough to prevent our escape. The best we can do is stay together and hope that the _Enterprise_ will repair the transporters in time to beam us away.// I shook my heat.

//I refuse to accept that. There _has_ to be a way out.//

//I have traveled around the perimeter of the field not touched by the blaze. We cannot leave on foot. It is illogical to deny those facts. Jim, this is one problem you cannot solve, or cheat your way out of.//

//No!// I stared at him, my face stricken in panic. //I won't leave our fate up to chance.//

//We have no choice.// I was clinging to him at this point, the inevitability of our situation finally settling in.

"Spock, I can't just let you die." My voice broke.

"At least we shall be together." His fingers found mine and we shared a desperate Vulcan kiss as the helicopters approached our hiding place once again.

"Let me try Uhura one more time." I pulled out my communicator with my free hand.

"Uhura." Her voice was harried.

"Any luck?"

"Captain, we've almost broke through. Just give us another five minutes!"

"Nyota, it's been nice knowing you." I hope I didn't sound as dejected as I felt. "Tell Bones, tell my crew…tell them thanks for trying. They did their best."

"Jim, wait-" I snapped my communicator shut. I didn't want to spend my last moment begging for help.

//Spock, we're going to fight this to the very end, do you understand me?//

//Affirmative, t'hy'la.// I felt my determination mirrored back at me through our link.

When the helicopters aimed their fire at us, we dodged out of the way. Instinctually, I moved left and Spock moved right. Unfortunately, it left us on either side of a growing wall of fire.

//You okay, Spock?//

//I am uninjured. You?// I moved my limbs experimentally. Nothing seemed to be broken.

//I'm fine. Can you find the end?//

//That is rather difficult, but I will keep trying. I wish to have you with me, Jim.// How I wished I could be there with him! Why had I insisted that we fight to the end? If I hadn't, we could've at least died in each other's arms. I never knew when to give up, and it had cost me my last moments with Spock.

We tried to locate the end of the fire, but the helicopters kept fueling the flames. It wasn't long before we gathered they had trapped us each in rings of fire, preventing us from reaching the other.

//I'm sorry I got us into this, Spock.// I could barely see his outline behind the flames. My eyes stung with tears, and not just from the smoke. Guilt threatened to overwhelm me as I castigated myself for suggesting the cornfields as a hiding place. My brilliant suggestion had led us directly to our deaths.

//It is not your fault, t'hy'la.// Spock picked up on my new surge of emotion right away. //We would not have been any safer hiding in the city.//

//I wish we'd been given more time together. It's not fair!// Anger surged through my veins. Anger at the Overlords for their prejudiced actions, anger at the misguided townsfolk for driving us into the cornfields, and anger at myself for ultimately getting us into this situation. //It's too soon for this, Spock. Much too soon.//

//Indeed. Meld with me, Jim.// Effortlessly, I entered Spock's mind. If this was to be our end, at least we would experience our minds joined as one as we left this universe.

I thought I heard my communicator beep but I was far too out of it to consider answering. Not that it would do me any good now.

//Please accept my energy, t'hy'la.// My bondmate insisted. //It will keep you alive a bit longer.//

//Spock, I'm not going to drain you of your energy!// I protested.

//Do not ask me to remain alive and die an agonizing death while our bond is severed.// The bond spiked with Spock's spike of frustration, and I knew I could not deny him his last request. I would grant Spock anything to make this less painless for him, for us.

//You've got a point there. I don't want you to feel pain if I can help it.// I calmly accepted Spock's cool energy, integrating it in with my own.

//I wish I could have held you one last time.// My bondmate's utter sadness and regret enveloped my essence, and I almost lost it. How I ached to hold Spock as well! All I could do was offer him illogical words of comfort.

//We are holding each other, Spock. Not physically, but we are.// I grasped tightly onto his essence, and we nuzzled each other through the meld.

//Jim… the smoke.//

//I know, Spock.// It was getting difficult for us to breathe, even melded as we were.

//It was an honor, Jim, my Bright One. My time as your bondmate was rich and fulfilling. I would not trade that for anything, even for a long lifespan.// _No, Spock, not yet!_

//Don't let go, Spock! Hold on, t'hy'la!//

//Jim... it is... difficult to... hold on.//_ No! _I knew he was feeding me more of his energy than he could spare. But it didn't really matter at this point. We were both goners. I began to panic, not wanting us to die like this. We weren't even saving the world!

//Spock! I can hardly breathe!//

//Be calm, Jim. What is, is.// I centered myself, realizing that I had no choice but to bravely meet death head on, much like I lived my life.

//I love you, Spock! So damn much.//

//And I … I you, Jim.// We shared one last burst of love through our closing bond.

Spock and I faded away together, our minds blissfully drifting into unconsciousness. My only consolation was that I had not caused him a painful death.

.~.

A moment later, Kirk's communicator beeped next to his unconscious body in the ring of fire.

"Captain, are you there?" Uhura called from her location in the Gamosian capitol. "Please respond. We have fixed the transporters and long term communications. Captain Kirk, what is your and Mr. Spock's status?"

_Chzzzzzzzzzz._

All she received in response was a burst of static.

End Ch. 9

A/N: Say it ain't so!?!? Comments? Questions? Concerns? I know I'm evil.

Also, Brittany Diamond posted episode 2 of the Ship's Closet on youtube. It talks about GR's quote about how he didn't outright deny Kirk and Spock were more than friends! Don't miss it.


	11. Change of Heart

Disclaimer: Star Trek belongs to Gene Roddenberry. The movie rights belong to J.J. Abrams and Paramount. Thanks to Zachary Quinto and Chris Pine for inspiring me to write about the young versions of Spock and Kirk!

A/N: It's finally done! Thank God – this chapter about killed me as it grew into twice the length of what I'd planned. Nevertheless, I hope you guys like it!

Ch. 10: Change of Heart

(Spock POV)

The first thing I detected was the sound of Dr. McCoy's voice. I quickly deduced that I was onboard the_ Enterprise_, specifically in Sickbay. Opening my eyes, I immediately scanned the room for Jim, but he was not to be found. Due to our link, I knew he was still alive, but that was all I knew.

"Ah, Spock, you're awake." McCoy peered down at me, his eyes glinting with curiosity.

"Indeed. Where is Jim?"

"I knew you'd ask that," McCoy chuckled. "He was here a minute ago. I'm not sure where he's gone, but it can't be far. Once he recovered, he spent the night in a chair by your side."

"So he has not been harmed?"

"There was no permanent damage, if that's what you mean. Unlike you." The doctor scowled at Spock. "You gave him so much of your life force, we almost lost you. Couple that with the effects of smoke inhalation – it's a wonder you're alive at all!" _I have caused my bondmate to suffer, not knowing if I would return to him. _ I had to contact him, now.

//Jim.// I called out to him through the bond. Our mind link was still as strong as ever.

//Spock! You're up!//

//I was hoping-//

//I'll be right there.// Jim promised.

Approximately 1.4 standard minutes later, Jim rushed into Sickbay.

"Spock!" Our bond swelled with his joy at our reunion. The corners of my mouth curled upward of their own accord as I sat up to greet him.

"Jim." I nodded at him, though it was difficult to restrain my emotion reaction at the sight of him. "I am pleased that you are well." Jogging over to my bed, Jim pulled me into a crushing embrace.

//Never lose you, Spock. Never.// I rested my head on his shoulder and released the tiniest of sighs.

//I am here, t'hy'la.// I reassured him. //I did not have any intention of leaving you.// My bondmate bristled at that and pulled away. He was furious, I had not seen him act this way to me before.

"Oh yeah? You shared so much of your energy with me through our meld, that there was barely any left to sustain you." He glowered at me. "Dammit, Spock, you were in a coma for a week! It was the worst week of my life - I almost lost you." He bit his lip, holding out his two fingers for a Vulcan kiss. In this circumstance I thought it logical to return my affection in public. After all, I had almost died.

//Please control your emotions, Jim.// I gently reprimanded him. If there was anything I hated, it was causing a scene. Jim knew this. //There will be time for grieving later, when we are alone.//

"I merely entered a healing trance," I corrected him. That was a half-truth, I had entered a healing trance while I had been in a coma. But I didn't want Jim to know just how close I had come to death.

"Whatever," Jim scoffed. "Your life signs were still dangerously low, according to Bones. How many times are you going to pull a reckless stunt like that? Promise me that you won't do anything like that again." I raised an eyebrow.

"I cannot promise that, Jim. It is my responsibility to ensure the safety of my captain and bondmate's life, even at the expense of my own." Jim and I exchanged icy glares. This was a sore spot for us.

Many times we had argued about taking unnecessary risks to save the other, and we never quite came to an agreement. Jim always said that if it ever came down to the two of us sacrificing themselves for the good of the ship, he would rather die instead of having to watch me suffer. He did not wish to live life alone if he could help it. Also, he argued that since Vulcans have longer life spans, I would have more time to devote to my duties in Starfleet as well as diplomatic training to further peace. I could not deny the logic of his arguments, but if the situation ever arose, I would still sacrifice myself so that Jim might live.

Dr. McCoy's voice jolted me out of my contemplative state.

"Sorry to interrupt your lover's spat," Bones interrupted, "but Starfleet needs to speak with us now that Spock is awake. That is, if you're feeling up to it." I sat up in bed, and straighten my shirt.

"I am, Doctor." McCoy smirked, knowing I would never refuse one of his challenges, even if he was just bating me to get his own way. Then he turned to my bondmate.

"Jim, why don't you fill him in on what he missed this week?"

"Okay," Jim conceded. "How about a truce?"

"Agreed."

//This discussion is NOT over, Spock.// I raised an eyebrow.

//With you, Jim, it never is.//

He helped me up out of bed and offered himself to lean on, but I insisted on walking without assistance. As we left Sickbay, Jim set a leisurely pace so that I could keep up with him. He stuck close to me in case I needed him, but not close enough to look like he was trying to assist me. For this, I was grateful. Jim knew how much I valued my independence, as he also valued his own. Once the blood flow returned to my legs, I was able to walk at a normal pace. As we headed toward the briefing room, Jim explained what had happened when I was in my 'healing trance'.

"We're still orbiting Gamus. Unfortunately, our mission isn't finished just yet. I promised Christiaan that I would do my best to reunite him with his lamori brother, and I wish to free all of the lamori from their current existence, if you could call it that. I swear, all those Gamosians who bought the false propaganda, that the lamori were causing all of their society's problems, need to have their brain removed, examined, and returned to their skull by Bones. Maybe then they might have an open mind –"

"Pardon me, Jim, but how did we manage to escape the burning cornfields?"

"Oh! I forgot." He gave me a sheepish smile. "Thanks to Uhura's work down on the planet's surface, the crew was able to override the jamming signal for deep space communication and the transporters. Scotty was able to locate us from my communicator signal and beam us up before we inhaled a fatal amount of smoke. "I was fine once Bones gave me oxygen but you were barely alive. I tried to reach you through our link to beg you to hold on, but I only received faint acknowledgement in response."

"Vulcans are unable to establish proper telepathic communications when they have slowed their bodily functions but eighty per-"

"I know that," he interrupted me. "What I didn't know was what caused your breathing and heart rate to drop. Bones thought it was perhaps an effect of smoke inhalation. He gave you oxygen as well, but there was little more that he could do, save for making you comfortable. I refused to leave your side until you were well, in hopes that my presence might bring you out of the coma." The corridors grew crowded as we approached Rec Room 3. Not wishing for others to hear this part of our conversation, Jim switched to telepathy.

//You scared me, Spock.// Jim crumbled inside as he remembered watching me lie there, unmoving in the Sickbay bed. Outwardly he projected his usual confidence, not wanting anyone save for myself to pick up on his true emotions. //Not knowing if you would wake up with your mental facilities intact was a worse torture than anything the Overlords could've cooked up.//

//I did not intend to cause you distress.// He just shook his head.

//You never do.//

//Jim-// But he was not interested in hearing my defenses at the moment.

//We'll talk about this later. Right now we have a job to do.//

"Where was I?" My interruption had caused him to lose his original train of thought.

"You were updating me on the status of Gamus."

"Right. It's almost complete chaos down on the planet's surface. The government has been in shambles ever since Starfleet authorized the capture of the Chancellor, the Ambassador, and the head Mind Manipulator. We're holding them captive in the brig until further notice." We approached the turbolift and Jim directed it to take us to the bridge.

"While detaining the corrupt leaders of Gamus does solve the immediate problem, without a plan to put a new government in place, Starfleet will not have done the Gamosians any favors."

"Logical, as always." Jim gave my shoulder a squeeze. "Don't worry, Spock, Starfleet has a plan. The search for competent government officials is already underway to replace those we have removed. We're also working with a representative of the lamori to ensure that their needs are met."

"It sounds as if you have made much progress without my diplomatic assistance." Jim shook his head.

"Not really. I haven't been back to the planet since. I was waiting for you to wake up for just that reason." Although I was aware my diplomatic skills were adequate, it never hurt for Jim to express a favorable opinion, especially when the current political situation on Gamus was rather complicated. I would have to recall all of my diplomatic training to ensure that any progress be made in granting the lamori a smooth entry into Gamosian society.

Soon we arrived on the bridge. We crossed the room side by side, in synch as usual. The crew was not shy in expressing their relief at my return. They greeted me with smiles, which of course, I did not return. Jim headed toward the command chair, but he elected to stand next to it instead of sitting.

"Mr. Spock, it is wery good to see you back on duty!" Chekov enthused, vacating the science station.

"I am pleased to return to my regular duties," I said, nodding at him as I took a seat.

"Pavel's glad to have you back because he hates manning the science station," Sulu announced. Chekov frowned at the pilot.

"Not so, Hikaru!" The navigator protested. "I prefer my usual post, but that does not mean that I am not flexible when the situation calls for it." Sulu started to retort back, but Jim waved his hand and he thought the better of it. He turned away from the viewscreen to face his crew.

"Alright, I know you're all happy to see Mr. Spock, but I need you all to at least _pretend_ to be on task for a bit." Jim kidded. "I'm expecting a com from Starfleet and with my luck, I'll get Komack. We're all under review for our service during the five year mission and I'd hate for him to have something fresh in his mind to hold against us."

"Captain, I must insist that you revise your statement of your opinion of Admiral Komack. He is a highly competent officer who-"

"You're right, Mr. Spock. That was unprofessional of me," Jim amended. "I have no feelings of ill will towards Admiral Komack, even though he did wish to expel me from Starfleet for cheating on the _Kobayashi Maru_. But then again, so did you, and look how that turned out." Laughter rang out across the bridge as my eyebrows rocketed upwards. But it was worth the light teasing just to see Jim's blinding grin directed at me.

"Captain, we're receiving a com from Starfleet!" Uhura announced, returning my attention to the situation at hand. "They wish to speak with the Gamosian leaders who headed the anti-lamori movement." Kirk nodded at her as I came to join him directly in front of the viewscreen. Our backs to the crew, Jim's shoulders gently brushed with my own. I very much enjoyed his comforting presence at my side.

"Onscreen, please." Admiral Pike soon came into focus on the screen. Although he appeared in uniform, with tousled hair and a five o'clock shadow, the admiral did not appear as his usual impeccable self.

"Oh good, it's you," Jim said with relief. I knew he was thrilled he didn't have to deal with Komack. Pike was like a father figure to him, and it would be the first time Jim had to speak with him after our tribulation on Gamus.

"Jim!" Pike's voice was harried. "I just returned from my vacation and was greeted with the report of your ordeal on Gamus. Are you alright? Is Spock alright?"

"We're fine, sir," Jim assured him. "Just some bumps and bruises, and Spock had to go into a healing trance for a week, but it all worked out in the end."

"A week?" Pike frowned. "That sounds serious."

"Do not waste your thoughts worrying about me, Admiral," I chided him. "I have made a sufficient recovery and am able to perform my duties aboard the _Enterprise _at maximum efficiency."

"Yep, he's fine." Pike chuckled. "Same old Spock." Kirk glanced slyly at me, then gave Pike a wry smile.

"Like I said, we're fine. It takes more than a little torture to keep us down!" Many of the crew members paled at that. They had been informed that their captain had been severely tortured on Gamus, but to hear him speak of it really drove the news home.

At the mention of torture, I shifted my hand closer to his, discreetly reaching out with my two forefingers. Affection swirled through our bond as Jim returned the Vulcan kiss, gently placing the tips of his two fingers on mine. Since we were facing him, Admiral Pike was the only one to witness our little public display of affection. I knew he would benefit from witnessing proof that our bond had survived the ordeal.

McCoy coughed, as Jim's morbid joke had fallen flat. We broke contact and turned to face our grim-faced crew. Right then I realized just how worried they must have been about my chances of survival, and the effect my death would have on their captain. Speaking of Jim, he was already issuing order to bring the Overlords to the bridge.

"Lt. Giotto, please tell your men to escort the-"

"I already have, Captain," the head of security interrupted.

//Wow, Cupcake's getting good at anticipating my orders.// Jim sounded pleased.

//He has matured considerably over the course of the voyage, just as you have.// I reminded him.

At Giotto's command, the turbolift arrived a minute later. The doors opened to reveal the prisoners and security guards within. Chancellor Oreilli, Ambassador Worryn, and Head Mind Manipulator Cryyos had their hands bound. They were surrounded by four security guards who had their phasers drawn. Jim wasn't taking any chances with them, as we knew firsthand what they were capable of.

"Good morning, gentlemen," Pike greeted them. "You may address me as Admiral Pike. I will be representing Starfleet in-" He was rudely interrupted by one of the prisoners.

"I don't care who you are - I demand to be returned to the Gamosian capitol at once!" Chancellor Oreilli thundered. "I will not stand for this treatment, Admiral. You have no right to hold myself or my colleagues here. You have no proof of your accusations." Pike smiled grimly.

"Oh, I have plenty of proof." He chuckled darkly. "Where should I start? Perhaps Captain Kirk's report, detailing the use of a torture device on his person all because he was bonded to another male."

"The Rejuvenator is not a torture device!" Ambassador Worryn interjected. "Our unfortunates are reborn thanks to its mind techniques, purging the victim of his unnatural homosexual tendencies." Pike's visage had been steadily growing more heated at every word the Overlord said. I could tell he had almost been pushed to his breaking point.

"You assaulted two Starfleet Officers several times!" Pike roared. "The punishment for such an act is immediate transport to the nearest rehabilitation center. Commander Spock and Captain Kirk may have a relationship that is not permitted in your culture, but they were only visiting your planet on a brief diplomatic mission! You had no right to torture or try to kill them."

"Kirk's report is only one person's version of the story," Cryyos spat. "That certainly isn't evidence enough for a court to go on."

"You are correct," I spoke up. "However, I will submit a report of my own, detailing most of the same incidents as Captain Kirk, verifying his version of events."

"This is ridiculous!" Oreilli boomed. "Of _course_ Commander Spock would verify everything his precious captain said since they are…" He trailed off, not finding the right words.

"Bonded? Or how about married?" Jim interjected as the Overlords visibly flinched. "It turns out that doesn't matter whether he verifies my story or not. Spock himself is all the proof we need. Every event his has witnessed on Gamus has been recorded in his memory. Any highly functioning telepath can meld with him and verify his version of events, with you three as the perpetrators behind the anti-lamori movement."

"Is that even legal evidence?" Oreilli wanted to know. Pike nodded, pleased that the prisoners were beginning to show signs of fear.

"It has been proven that a Vulcan's mind never lies. That evidence holds true in a Federation court of law."

"You guys are _finished_," Jim informed the trio, walking closer to where they stood. "All three of you - not to mention most of your subordinates. They will be evaluated on their involvement in the mistreatment of your lamori minority to determine if they are allowed to keep their jobs. But not you. No." Kirk cast them a dark grin. "You have been stripped of your leadership authority as of this moment by the United Federation of Planets."

"You have no power over us," Worryn growled. "We aren't even a part of the Federation!" I sensed Jim's frustration through the bond, which only added to my own. I needed to put a stop to this, now. I walked closer towards the contingent of security and prisoners.

"He's right," Cryyos added. "Return us to Gamus and-"

"I would suggest that you cease your blathering," I interrupted. "Your impudence directed towards my bondmate is fueling my anger." I cracked my knuckles for effect and most of the bridge crew jumped. They had not forgotten the time I had almost choked Jim to death during the _Narada_ incident five years previously.

"You don't want to be on the receiving end of a Vulcan's anger," Jim warned. "Trust me on that one, fellas. He can crush your windpipe with one squeeze of his hand." Needless to say, the prisoners clammed up after that.

"Moving on," Pike continued. "Now that we have been made aware of the situation, Starfleet has ordered a Federation presence on Gamus until your government decides that _all _of your citizens are worthy to be treated with decency and respect. Only then will we consider Gamus for admission to the UFoP. We have appointed a liaison to Starfleet who will represent the lamori population on Gamus. He was the leader of the underground lamori resistance movement, so he is more than suited for the job." Pike's eyes flicked toward the group of Gamosians exiting the turbolift. "Harvvi, glad you could join us."

"I came as soon as I could." The male Gamosian bowed out of respect for Pike. "I believe you have already met my bondmate, Maathu, and our friends, a fellow lamori bonded couple, Sapphia and Elennya." While Pike greeted them in turn, the Overlords grumbled their disapproval toward the lamori couples. Jim was not about to have this. All he had to say was,

"Spock?" I growled softly at the Overlords for effect, and they stopped.

"We're sorry!" Oreilli cried. "Captain, please don't unleash the Vulcan on us!"

"Don't look at me," was Jim's innocent response. "Just because we're bondmates, doesn't mean that I control Spock. He has of his own free will. Besides, if he wants to tear you to pieces, I'm not gonna stop him."

//Ya know, I really should use you for intimidation purposes more often.// Jim mused as the former Overlords continued to plead for mercy.

//As long as you do not make it a habit, I would not be adverse to such a whim.// I replied.

//Whatever. You enjoyed messing with them just as much as I did.// Jim's warmth flooded the bond, which I wholeheartedly returned.

//I have no comment on the matter.// Our verbal sparring was interrupted by one of the female lamori. It seemed like I hadn't seen her in ages, although in reality it had only been eight days, four hours, and twenty-three minutes.

"Commander Spock, we are so happy that you're alive!" Sapphia exclaimed, gesturing to her friends. "I'm afraid we all assumed the worst."

"As you can see, I am not dead," I informed her, my face a perfectly serious Vulcan mask. The crew had a chuckle at my expense at that. "I do however appreciate your concern."

"When we heard about the fire, we thought you both had perished," Elennya sniffed. "I would've felt awful if you died as a result of trying to help our cause."

"Nonsense. I assure you, there was no permanent damage. But I must ask if any of you had to suffer the effects of the Rejuvenator?"

"We were lucky," Maathu admitted. "The Overlords were so concerned about catching you, that they only held us prisoner. Our torture ended up being postponed indefinitely, since you and Captain Kirk kept them so busy."

"We are glad to be of service," I replied.

"Ahem." Admiral Pike cleared his throat, reminding us of his presence. "Sorry to break up your reunion, but we need to keep things moving. Harvvi, have you compiled your minimum terms?"

"I have," Harvvi replied. "As liaison for the lamori population, my first term is that all the Rejuvenators across the planet be destroyed." The Overlords scowled at the demand, but decided it wasn't important enough to argue.

"That's a must," Pike agreed. "We can't allow any more brainwashing. Next?"

"We insist that our former leaders give a public apology to the citizens of Gamus for their deceitful plan to keep the lamori from having rights in our society."

"Preposterous!" Oreilli sniffed. "We refuse. What purpose would it serve, anyway? We are about to be shipped off to a rehabilitation facility. What would we have to gain from this act?" Jim didn't say anything. He didn't have to, he just pointed towards me.

//Bare your teeth at them, Spock.// He urged.

//I do not believe that is necessary-//

//Pleeeease? We need them to expose the truth to all of Gamus.//

//Very well.// I relented. After the prisoners enjoyed a close-up viewing of my teeth, they decided that a public apology wasn't such an outrageous term after all.

"Do you have any more terms, Harvvi?" Pike wanted to know.

"For our third and final minimum term to be met, we ask that lamori be allowed to bond with each other without fear of death or torture." Jim couldn't resist adding a 'hell yeah' to that one. Since it was our last mission and he had been under a lot of stress, once again his professionalism had become rather lax. However, this time I did not have the heart to scold him, as I shared his opinion.

"Thank you, son," said Pike, giving Harvvi a small bow of respect. "These are reasonable terms. After what you all have been through, this is the least your government should grant you."

"I hope you are right," was Harvvi's response. "Our newly elected Chancellor is said to be sympathetic to our cause."

"New Chancellor?" Oreilli sputtered. I turned around to give him a death glare, and he quivered in his boots. Hmm, I had no idea I could cause such a reaction. Fascinating.

"Keptin, I am detecting a surge of life forms concentrated around the monument in the main square," Chekov reported.

"The new chancellor is scheduled to give his acceptance speech within the hour," Harvvi informed us. "It seems he has a rather large turnout."

"Great," Jim enthused. "Well, there's no time like the present." He nodded at the former overlords.

"What, you mean we have to give our apology _now_?" Worryn squeaked.

"That is indeed what the captain is implying," I answered him smoothly. "Unless you wish to face my wrath, I would suggest that you let security escort you down to the transporter room. You will beam down and explain to your constituents how you played them false for all these years." They nodded meekly.

"These better be heartfelt apologies, guys," Jim warned as security led them toward the lift. "If I feel like you didn't really mean what you said, I'll make you apologize again."

"You wouldn't," Cryyos muttered.

"Trust me, he would," McCoy jumped in. "After what you did to him and his bondmate, be grateful that all the punishment he's dishing out is a lesson in humiliation. Other men would not have been so kind." They realized that the doctor is right.

"We are forever indebted to your gratitude, Captain," Oreilli simpered.

"I'm not doing this because I like you," Jim growled. "I'm doing this because it's what's right. Get them out of here, Giotto." The man known to Jim as Cupcake leered at the prisoners.

"With pleasure." They went quietly. As soon as the prisoners had vacated the bridge, the tension in the air dissipated. The crew began to visibly relax.

"Good luck, Jim. Don't let the townsfolk get a hold of them," Pike warned. "The last thing we need is more blood on our hands.

"I won't, sir." Jim insisted. The admiral nodded to him.

"Report back as soon as you're finished. Pike out." Uhura terminated the connection and everyone looked to Jim for orders.

"Mr. Spock, Dr. McCoy, you're with me. Mr. Sulu, you have the con."

"Aye, sir," Sulu answered. "If you aren't back within the hour, we're coming to get you." Jim smiled.

"Thank you Mr. Sulu. I hope that will not be necessary." He motioned to McCoy and I, and we boarded the turbolift that took us to G Deck and the transporter room.

.~.

_5.3 minutes later_

Jim, McCoy, Giotto, two security officers, and I beamed down first to secure the area. We could not be certain how the Gamosian public would react to seeing their former leaders, so we wanted to clear as much space as possible.

"Okay, Mr. Scott, energize," Jim ordered via communicator.

Six shapes swirled into the solid forms of the prisoners and three security officers. Immediately, the security contingent tried to secure the parameter but once the crowd recognized Oreilli, Worryn, and Cryyos, it was nearly impossible. We could barely hold back the crowd as the former Overlords delivered their apology. Jim had to call for more back up. It was as if all of Gamus had decided to descend upon the former Overlords to seek revenge. A feeble apology was not nearly enough to make up for the prejudice and destruction these men had instigated.

Before the backup arrived, two male Gamosians slipped through our defenses. One of them grabbed Oreilli by the neck and the other grappled with Jim, who had been closest to the scene. I calmly administered the nerve pinch to Oreilli's attacker, who slumped to the ground. I could've done the same to Jim's attacker, but I knew he wanted to handle the man on his own.

"Stand down, Captain," the Gamosian growled, swinging a punch that barely missed my bondmate's head. "This man robbed me of my sister!"

"No!" Jim wrestled him to the ground. I hovered nearby in case Jim was in need of my assistance. Fortunately, he had the situation under control.

"Now you listen to me, sir," Jim hissed. "That's not the way to enact positive change! You can't solve violence with more violence. You must make better decisions than they did." Kirk insisted. "I know how hard the loss of a sibling can be." I knew he was remembering his older brother Sam, who had perished on Deneva a few years back. "But you can't help your sister by killing her captor. I don't think she'd want you to throw away your life for her. These men have been sentenced to life in a rehabilitation center. They will not bother you or your family again."

While Jim was dealing with his assailant, more security officers arrived from the _Enterprise_. With their help, we were able to keep the crowd at bay. Once Giotto announced that the former Overlords would spend the rest of their days in prison, the crowd began to quiet down. Through all this, I continued to eavesdrop on Jim's conversation.

"You're right, Captain," the man sighed. "I guess I just got caught up in all the commotion. Most of us want these bastards dead."

"I understand the need to kill the one that caused you suffering," Kirk said softly as he let the man up. I knew my bondmate was remembering Kodos and all of his unspeakable deeds on Tarsus IV. "But the hate, the need to kill will consume you. Trust me, it's not worth it."

"You are wise beyond your years," the man admitted. "Thank you, Captain, for preventing me from making the worst mistake of my life."

"You're welcome," Jim said simply, and the man disappeared into the crowd.

"You handled that rather diplomatically," I commented as McCoy and I joined him. Jim shook his head as he called the ship to beam the prisoners up. Since they had delivered their apology, there was no reason to keep them on the planet and heighten the already strained emotions of the crowd.

"I just want to get this over with," Jim muttered. "What time does the new chancellor give his speech?"

"In approximately ten point three minutes."

"This speech better be good," Dr. McCoy grumbled. "I'm missing my lunch for this."

"I wonder who they chose," Jim mused. "Who would have the courage to try and unify the Gamosians at a time like this?"

.~.

As it turned out, the new chancellor so happened to be Jim's Gamosian friend, Christiaan. He had been the one to lead us to Jim and rescue him from the Overlords' clutches. Apparently, he came from a rather wealthy and politically influential family, much like my own House of Surak among Vulcans. We found out later that Christiaan had worked as a security guard for the Overlords so that he could be in a position to help those who had been captured escape. However, he had never done so for a VIP prisoner, as their disappearance would likely be investigated and traced back to him. This explained his original hesitance to help Jim, who was probably the most famous VIP ever to have set foot on Gamus.

When Christiaan stepped out on stage with his wife, he was greeted with momentous cheers. He had been pegged as the local hero of this fiasco, as he had not followed the Overlords' orders. Instead, he helped Jim and I escape at great personal risk. Apparently his noble heart and political background made him the supreme candidate for chancellor.

Christiaan began his acceptance speech with a message of tolerance. He explained that a great wrong had been committed and that he would do his best to make things right while still respecting the Gamosian traditions and protecting the sanctity of marriage. The new chancellor admitted that he was not the most experienced man for the job, but that he was surrounding himself with advisors who were. He named an experienced diplomat to be the new ambassador, and a new head of security who had refused to use the Rejuvenator or any device like it.

Next, he made a personal connection between himself and the lamori. It was a bold move, but a necessary one if he was to cater to the emotions of his audience.

"I am happy to be reunited with my long-lost brother, Harvvi, who so happens to be our liaison to the Federation," the new chancellor announced. "Harvvi, would you come join me on stage, please?" Blushing, Harvvi did. Christiaan threw his arms around his brother.

"We must embrace the lamori as I have embraced my brother." He went on to explain about Harvvi's job as liaison and what the lamori terms entailed. A discontented murmuring swept through the crowd when he mentioned that the lamori be allowed to bond with each other. But Christiaan put their fears at ease, clarifying that while it was necessary for the lamori to be allowed to bond in order for their spirits to survive, they would not be granted the rights of a full marriage. Instead, the lamori would have unions, which bound them together by law, but would not be recognized by their religion. He closed his speech by reminding all the citizens of Gamus to be patient as they would work together to rebuild a new and improved society.

I knew there were still plenty of citizens who thought Oreilli had the right idea about lamori. Christiaan had the right idea about compromising between the opposing views and granting lamori 'unions'. It was logical for the change to progress slowly, giving people more time to adjust to the idea. Jim did not think this was fair to the lamori, having their marriages be looked upon as less than a normal male/female marriage. He wished for the lamori to be granted equal rights right away. But when I explained to him via our bond that the hatred towards the lamori may increase exponentially if they were immediately granted marriage rights, Jim was able to understand. It would be a long and difficult fight, but I had no doubt that Harvvi, his bondmate, and the other lamori were up to it. After all, they had fought to stay together and alive. Fighting for their rights would be a walk in the park after what they'd lived through.

We decided to wait until the crowd thinned to say our goodbyes to Harvvi and Maathu. In the meantime, we were approached by our newfound female friends.

"Captain Kirk, Commander Spock, we can't thank you enough for what you have done for us." Elennya's young face shone with gratitude. "Now we don't have to live in fear that our mates will be taken from us. We can live a normal life."

"It was our pleasure," Jim replied. "We know how important a same-sex bond can be." He glanced at me and we shared a look of familiar contentment. Hypnotized as I was by his searing gaze, I turned away first.

"Sapphia, will you and your bonded live in the city?" I asked. They shook their heads.

"While I feel like what Harvvi is doing is worthwhile, we know that it will take many years before lamori are accepted as regular members of Gamosian society." Sapphia's answer was grim, but practical. "There are some of us who don't want to wait for equal rights, so we have found an alternative solution. We've decided to join a contingent of lamori who believe the same as we do and live with them outside the city."

"Everyone should have the freedom to be who they are," Elennya continued. "In our village, we won't have to hide ourselves and our relationships any longer. One day, when lamori have been granted equal rights under Gamosian law, we might decide to return to Bhapteesta. But until then, we will be content on our own."

"You must do what you think is best," said Jim. "I wish you every happiness."

"As do I," I added.

"Same here," said McCoy.

"Oh, Doctor, whatever happened to Samm?" Sapphia wondered.

"The elderly lamori traveling with you who lost his bondmate along with his mind?" McCoy sighed. "I've researched healing techniques and haven't come up with much. But what I did find I shared with your healers and they will use that knowledge to try and revitalize his mind. He's in a healing facility in the city right now, but we don't know if he will ever be the same. However, I do believe my techniques would work on younger patients, if they had been kept in isolation for less than ten years."

"Well, that's something at least," Sapphia commented. "Dr. McCoy, do not feel guilty for not being able to save Samm. You can't always save everyone."

"Yes, thank you for giving us an update on his condition," Elennya said softly. "I know you did all you could for him."

"Thank you," McCoy croaked out. "I gave him my best shot." An awkward silence fell between us. Thankfully it did not last long.

"Goodbye, all of you," Sapphia bid us farewell. "Our new family is waiting for us. Safe journey home!"

"Goodbye," Jim echoed. They bowed to us, and then disappeared into the throng of people. I was sad to see them go. We all stood there, not sure what to do next.

"Captain Kirk!" A familiar voice called. It was Chancellor Christiaan! He was leading Harvvi and Maathu towards us through the masses.

"Christiaan." Kirk patted him on the back. "You should've told me you were part of such an influential family. Congratulations on your becoming chancellor!"

"Thank you." Christiaan beamed at my bondmate. "You too, Mr. Spock. But I'm afraid we can't stay for long. I'm needed elsewhere, and so are they." He gestured to the male lamori.

"We do not wish to keep you from your responsibilities," I said, speaking for all of us.

"They can wait a bit longer," said Harvvi. "First I must convey our gratitude, to all of you. We'll be forever in your debt."

"And just think," Maathu piped up, "If we hadn't drugged your food that first night on Gamus, none of this ever would have happened." Jim and Dr. McCoy had a good laugh at that. I found his remark to be only mildly amusing.

"That took great courage as well, using the only means available to you to get strangers to listen to you," said Jim. "You took a big risk; we could have reported you to the chancellor." They exchanged glances.

"It was a chance we had to take, as no one else could help us. We had heard rumors of the nature of your relationship with Commander Spock," Maathu explained. "I knew that if they were true, you had to be sympathetic to our cause."

"Your prediction was indeed correct," I deadpanned. They chuckled at my response.

"I know you guys need to go, but there's something I need to say to Harvvi," Jim insisted.

"Very well," Christiaan allowed. Jim pulled the liaison aside.

"Good luck with your new job."

"Thank you, Captain," said Harvvi, confused as to why the captain had pulled him aside. But Jim had more to say.

"If it's anything like being responsible for the needs of hundreds of crew members, you're going to want to give up at some point," my bondmate admitted. "But you can't. If you quit, the old prejudices win. Keep your friends close, and especially keep your bondmate close. They can help you more than you know." Jim showered me with his affection through the bond, which I met with great fondness.

"That's sound advice, Captain." Harvvi bowed to Jim, who returned the gesture. "I wish you all an uneventful voyage home."

"That will be the day," McCoy griped.

"You never know, Bones!" Jim protested. "It could happen." Then he turned to the lamori liaison. "Thank you for your gracious wishes, Harvvi. It has been an honor working with you." Then his bondmate stepped forward.

"Goodbye Mr. Spock," said Maathu, raising his hand in the customary Vulcan Ta'al. Jim must have taught it to him at some point while I had been incapacitated.

"May you and your bonded live long and prosper," I replied.

"You all take care now," McCoy added.

"Enjoy your new freedoms, and fight for the ones you have yet to achieve," said Jim.

"Farewell, Captain," said Christiaan, giving us a sad smile. "You have proved yourself to be the hero of legend time and again. We on Gamus will never forget what you have done for us." The trio of Gamosians bowed to us one last time before dispersing into the crowd.

"And that's that," said McCoy as we watched them leave. "I don't believe it, this mission was actually a success! And no one on our side died!"

"It is rather incredible," Jim admitted. "I certainly couldn't have done it without you two." He stared off into the distance, lost in thought. I knew he was replaying all of our experiences here in his head.

//Jim?// I tentatively called.

//I'm fine, Spock. Just spacing out.// Jim shook himself out of his daze. He then shifted into 'captain' mode with his back straight, his chin up, and his hands relaxed at his sides.

"Boys, let's go home." He flipped open his communicator and called our ship.

"Kirk to _Enterprise_." Someone answered right away.

"Captain, are you three ready to beam up?" Scotty's voice squawked from the communicator.

"We are. Beam us up, Scotty!" Jim's voice commanded, and soon the familiar tickle of the transporter beam encircled my form and we vanished from sight.

.~.

We safely arrived on the transporter, much to McCoy's relief. Scotty greeted us with his usual enthusiasm. He informed us that Starfleet Command had ordered us to return straight to Earth after the completion of our mission. Then he told us to head right for the bridge because our crew was anxiously awaiting our return. We didn't hesitate to board the turbolift just outside the transporter room.

As we climbed towards the bridge, I shared a long look with my bondmate. Even without the bond, I could tell from Jim's wide smile that he was just as excited as I was about reporting back to the crew that our mission had been a success. His pride at a job well done echoed through the bond, to which I added my own delight. In practically no time at all, we arrived at our destination.

The turbolift doors swished open to a waiting audience on the bridge. All who had major parts in the successful completion of the mission to Gamus were patiently awaiting the arrival of their captain, first officer, and CMO. Jim, McCoy, and I stepped out onto the bridge to be greeted with a round of smattering applause. It was a quite unexpected gesture, but I appreciated it nonetheless.

"Okay, okay!" Jim laughed as the applause began to die down. "Everyone be quiet for a sec." The chattering stopped. "I've just been informed that Starfleet has ordered us to return straight to Earth." If I had thought the cheering when we'd arrived had been loud, this time it was deafening. Jim let them cheer, hug and chat for a few minutes before calling his crew to order.

"Settle down," he asked, and everyone quieted immediately as a sign of respect for their captain. "Alright, I'll keep this short and sweet," Jim promised. He took a deep breath. "Excellent job, team. You guys really hung in there when it counted. Thanks to your efforts, Spock and I survived our last mission!" Everyone clapped at that. "Not only that, but the mission was a success. All of the lamori on Gamus have been granted to bond with each other." The applause was louder this time, especially coming from the navigation and pilot console.

"I'd like to commend Lt. Uhura for fixing our long range communications." Everyone clapped in appreciation.

"I'd like to recognize Scotty, who got the transporters up and running just in time to beam up Mr. Spock and I and saving us from certain death." More applause.

"I'd like to thank Dr. McCoy for researching healing techniques for broken minds, so that those with damaged minds on Gamus might have hope to live again." This time the applause was led by Nurse Christine Chapel, who had reported to the bridge to welcome her boss home.

"Last of all, I'd like to recognize Lt. Giotto for organizing his security forces so that the mission could be a success, and for putting his life in danger in an attempt to save my own." An astonished Giotto gaped at Jim as people clapped for him. But then Jim mouthed the words 'Cupcake' and Giotto's familiar scowl returned. I felt Jim's amusement through our bond. Everything was as it should be.

"I'd also like to thank everyone else that I didn't acknowledge by name. Your efforts were very much appreciated, as everyone is an integral part of running this ship. If we all work together and combine our talents, there are no limits to what we can achieve!" He paused for a moment to see if his crew was paying attention. They were.

"I wanted to end our five year mission on a high note, and despite everything, I believe we achieved just that." As the bridge crew celebrated, I recalled all of the successes and failures we had endured over the course of the deep space mission. This mission to Gamus had only been one of the many that had touched our personal lives. Somehow, Jim and I managed to survive them all, relatively unscathed. The strength of our bond grew larger every day, for which I was forever grateful.

"Set course for Earth, Mr. Sulu," Jim commanded as I took my seat at the science station. "Ahead warp factor seven."

"Yes sir!" Sulu snuck a grin at Chekov. "Home at last!"

I glanced at the back of Jim's head as the stars streaked past us. I desired a return to civilization, where Jim and I would not have to even think of hiding our bond. Although we had not been made privy to the nature of our next assignment from Starfleet, I knew that any place we were sent would be adequate. After all, my home was where Jim was. However, we still had much to work out between us. We hadn't had any time for just the two of us since the beginning of the mission. I anticipated that we would be granted just that after the completion of our shift.

//Spock?// I jumped, as I had not been expecting him to contact me when I had been lost in my thoughts.

//Yes, Jim?// He turned around to grin at me. The rest of the bridge crew noticed, and they too exchanged smiling glances with each other. Perhaps they had finally figured out that we engaged in telepathic conversations.

//I have a feeling that only t'hy'la could have survived that ordeal.// The corners of my lips curled up in tiny smile as we basked in the love for each other reflected though our bond.

//You may be right, Jim.// I acknowledged him. //You may be right.//

.~.

THE END

A/N: This is the last chapter of this story and I worked really really hard on it. However, the story is NOT COMPLETE. The EPIC EPILOGUE is still yet to come, with lots of K/S fluff for your reading pleasure. You know you'll want to stick around for that.

To all my 'lamori' readers in the U.S. – change is coming. More and more people are becoming accepting of those who identify as LGBT. You deserve to be granted equal rights. Like the constitution says, "all (people) are created equal". First white men who owned property were given rights. Then it was changed to all white men. Then African-American men were given rights after the Civil War's end (although they weren't really implemented in the south until the Civil Rights Movement of the '60s. Yay 60's, right Brittany?). Then in August of 1920, women were granted rights. My lamori friends, your turn is next! It will happen, I just know it. It's already happened in Massachusetts, Connecticut, Vermont, Maine, New Hampshire, and Iowa, where our beloved Captain grew up! More states will join the list in the years to come. The only question is, how long will it take before the entire U.S. legalizes gay marriage? I don't have the answer for that, but I am hopeful that it will be sooner rather than later. When it happens, you guys won't have to hide your true selves any more. You'll be able to hold hands with your partner in public and not fear judgment from others. I truly believe that love is the most powerful force on this planet, and once the powers that be proclaim that everyone is allowed to love in their own way, this world will be a better place. [End rant]

Also, I wanted to say that this is my first story with political overtones. I realize it came off a bit heavy at times, but I'm still learning. I want to get my point across but I don't want to jam it down my readers' throats. TOS was excellent at achieving that feat, which I was trying to imitate. It didn't turn out as well as I'd originally hoped, but it was still good practice for me. However, I don't have any more 'political' stories in the works at this time.

My next K/S fic, Chance Encounter, is already in the works. I've uploaded the first two chapters already and I know most of you have read them! I really wanted to write a fic set during the Academy years, because there just aren't enough of those! So I did, except it's not really set at Starfleet. As many of you have guessed, it's a time travel fic where Kirk and Spock slowly become friends over the course of the adventure. It's pre-slash, but that's not to say there won't be some 'slashy moments'. It will be fun, I promise!

Points for people who caught the Spock's Brain reference!


	12. Epilogue Part I

Disclaimer: Star Trek belongs to Gene Roddenberry. The movie rights belong to J.J. Abrams and Paramount. Thanks to Zachary Quinto and Chris Pine for inspiring me to write about the young versions of Spock and Kirk!

A/N: The epilogue will be written in first person because… because I said so! Sorry it's not longer but I wanted to give you guys SOMETHING this weekend! And no, I'm not raising the rating for this so don't ask. LOL. This is inspired by the Final Frontier 'shower' bit. Thanks for bringing that up, Brittany! Enjoy everybody!

.~.

_Epilogue - Part I_

Not five minutes of Alpha shift had passed before Scotty appeared on the bridge via turbolift. Kirk was surprised to see him, especially when the Scot began to wring his hands. It was unusual for the engineer to be nervous around Jim, as he regarded the captain as a friend.

"Captain, I've come to relieve ye. You and Mr. Spock must be exhausted from your ordeal on Gamus." Jim sighed.

"Did Bones put you up to this?" Scotty finally quailed under Jim's icy gaze.

"Yes, sir." Jim heaved a great sigh.

"The good doctor strongly suggests that ye and Mr. Spock take a few days off in order to recuperate. If ye don't, he'll be ordering the both of ye to spend the night in Sick Bay – in separate rooms." Scotty anxiously relayed the CMO's message.

"Very well," Kirk conceded. He turned around to face the science station. "I'd rather not mess with Bones when he's having one of his hissy-fits. Shall we retire, Mr. Spock?" The Vulcan nodded.

"That sounds logical." He stood up and followed his bondmate toward the turbolift.

"Mr. Scott, you have the con."

"Aye, sir," said the Scot, sliding into the captain's chair with ease.

"Thanks, Scotty," Kirk muttered under his breath. It was then that the Chief Engineer noticed how tired his captain truly was. Bags rested under his eyes, which were tinged with red. Kirk had been unsuccessfully trying to stifle a yawn attack, which had given his true state away.

"Oh, and Captain?" Kirk stopped in his tracks.

"Hmm?"

"I willnae be disturbin' ye unless it's an emergency." Scotty gave him and Spock a knowing look.

"I appreciate that, Mr. Scott," Kirk said smoothly as the tips of Spock's ears tinged green. "Take care of our lady while I'm gone."

"Oh, I will, sir!" Grinning at Scotty's dedication to their beloved ship, Kirk stepped into the lift, Spock right behind him.

.~.

As soon as they arrived in their joint quarters, Kirk pulled Spock into a bear hug as the door slit shut behind them.

"Jim, are you alright?" Spock asked hesitantly as Kirk's arms tightened around his lanky form.

"No, I am not alright," the captain croaked, the hoarseness in his voice finally beginning to show. "I had to wait a whole week by your side in Sick Bay, never knowing if you would recover from our brush with death on Gamus. I couldn't reach you through our bond, Spock! It was like being back in that damned torture chamber, with all ties to you shut off." He buried his face in Spock's shoulder, finally able to release the emotions that had plagued him for the past week. Spock reminded him that Vulcans could not communicate telepathically when they were unconscious.

"I have already explained the intricacies of a Vulcan healing trance, however-" Kirk brought his head up to glare at his bondmate, effectively interrupting him.

"You were in that trance because you lent me too much of your own damned life force. How many times must we go through this, Spock?" He asked, bringing up his right hand to caress Spock's cheek. "My life is not worth the sacrifice of your own!"

"My counterpart believed that this was so, Jim," Spock said softly, leaning into his husband's touch. "He told me how he sacrificed himself to save all on board the _Enterprise_, including his Kirk." The Vulcan brought up his hand and allowed his fingers to ghost over Jim's meld points, but to his dismay, Kirk shrank from his touch.

"This is exactly what I don't want you to do!" Jim growled, folding his arms across his chest. "I don't want to lose you, Spock."

"Your counterpart did not lose me," Spock reminded him. "He was able to bring my body and katra back to Vulcan and I was returned to optimal health within months."

"That-that's not the point!" Jim sputtered, waving his arms as if to accentate his frustration. "I can't have you risking your life for me. I'll make it an order if I have to."

"Jim," said Spock, gazing at his t'hy'la with the utmost affection, "your emotions are overwhelming your sense of logic."

"Yeah well, that always seems to happen whenever you are concerned. You should be used to it by now," Kirk whispered, scooting closer to his mate. He pressed a feather light kiss to his Vulcan's neck, causing Spock's eyelids to flutter at the sensation.

"Could you honestly stop yourself from risking your life to save mine?" The Vulcan asked.

"That's different!" Kirk protested.

"It is no different and you know it," Spock reminded him. "Jim, I do not wish to waste any more precious time arguing this point with you. We will both continue to do whatever is necessary to ensure that the other survives. That is the sign of true t'hy'la. Please do not continue to fight me when I say that I would gladly give my life for yours."

"Alright," Kirk said, letting out a shaky breath. "If that's the way it has to be. I just - after that mission, it made me consider a few things," he mused, allowing his hands to roam up and down Spock's back. "Maybe I shouldn't be so quick to get back into space after we return to Earth. I know that Komack would love to promote me to Admiral and give me a desk job. Maybe I should take it so that you would be out of danger."

"No, Jim. That is not your destiny," Spock insisted, allowing a true smile materialize on his normally-composed features. He was somewhat surprised as to Kirk's willingness to give up his captaincy and the _Enterprise_, just to keep him safe. It would be an illogical sacrifice, so why did it warm him to the core?

"You sound like Prime when you say that," Kirk grumbled. "It's freaky."

"Do not try to change the subject, t'hy'la," Spock chided. "You belong in space, Jim. You know it, I know it, all of Starfleet knows it. I would not want to be the one responsible for keeping you from fulfillment and happiness."

"But_ you_ are my happiness," Kirk whined. "I won't be responsible for your death, Spock. You're too important to me. I came too close to losing you on this mission." Kirk's shoulders began to shake, and he barely succeeded at holding back the sobs that threatened to erupt. "I couldn't live with myself if that happened because of me, or because of our bond."

"Jim." Spock mentally soothed his bondmate, sending waves of understanding and love, boundless love. Jim's shaking diminished as Spock placed a quick peck on his forehead. "Who is to say that I will not die from a transporter accident, or a shuttle collision if you took the job back on Earth?"

"That's true, but the odds of your premature death are much lower there as opposed to if we ventured back into deep space." Kirk nuzzled his neck, and Spock allowed himself to sigh in contentment.

"You are an explorer, Jim, a daredevil by nature. You would eventually become bored if you stayed away from space for too long."

"Maybe," Kirk conceded, "but I would be willing to give it all up to keep you safe and alive."

"You do not have to choose between me and space," Spock reminded him.

"I know," Kirk sighed. "But if I did, I'd choose you in a heartbeat." Spock felt the truth ringing from Jim's statement through their bond and it filled him with the utmost compassion for his bonded. Jim offered his two forefingers to Spock, who gently returned the Vulcan kiss. The electricity that sparked from the skin-on-skin connection never failed to amaze Spock. How this could be, as Jim was not Vulcan, he could not explain.

"We do not need to decide this now," Spock said, gently tabling the discussion as he reluctantly removed his fingers from Jim's.

"Right," Jim agreed, holding on to Spock once more to keep himself from falling over. The Vulcan took advantage of Jim's lapse in mental shielding and discovered just how exhausted his captain really was.

"Jim!" Spock mentally disapproved of his bondmate's secrecy. "You did not mention your fatigue to me earlier."

"I didn't want you to worry," Kirk muttered. "It's not a big deal. I'll live." Spock sighed.

"I imagine you lost most of your sleep watching over me in Sick Bay, a gesture that was useless as I was in the healing trance, but agreeable nonetheless. Come, let me help you to bed."

"I don't know if I could get it up tonight, Spock," Kirk joked, closing his heavy eyelids as Spock helped him over to their king-size bed.

"Then it is fortunate that I bonded with you for reasons other than sexual gratification," Spock said gravely, the twinkle in his eyes the only indication that he was teasing.

"Spock, I gotta get a shower first," Kirk insisted. "I always sweat extra when I'm surrounded by crowds." Spock was well aware of his bondmate's mild claustrophobia, and thought it was a wonder he was able to function in crowds at all after all he'd seen on Tarsus IV.

"Very well," the Vulcan acquiesced. "I shall remove your clothing." In no time at all, Kirk was standing gloriously naked before Spock.

"Like what you see?" Kirk teased as Spock's eyes raked over his fit form.

"Indeed," Spock agreed as he guided his bondmate toward the shower.

//You are beautiful, t'hy'la.// "It is a familiar sight, one I shall never tire of." His captain puffed out his ripped chest with pride.

"Look, I know you don't like to waste water, but I can still feel the grime of that backward planet all over me." Kirk shuddered, remembering how unfairly the Overlords had treated same-sex couples. He was eager to returned to the civilization of Federation worlds. "Do you mind if I take a water shower?"

"You do not have to ask me these things, Jim," Spock answered, touched that his bonded would still be concerned for his preferences after all these years. He helped Kirk into the shower, and adjusted the dials so that warm water blasted out of the showerhead.

"Are you comfortable, Jim?"

"Oh yeah," Kirk moaned, reveling in the moment as the tiny droplets of water massaged his aching back. "I'm good." Spock turned to take his leave.

//Where do you think you're going?// Jim asked, his 'voice' indignant over the link.

//You did not ask me to stay.// Spock hadn't been sure if Jim had wanted him there or not. He didn't want to invite himself if his bondmate had desired to shower alone. Even after five years, his Vulcan decorum still dictated that he not take advantage of Jim's privacy.

//Spock, you are _always _invited.// Jim sounded amused and irritated at the same time. //You should know that by now.//

//I did not wish to be rude.// Spock was already stripping, not bothering to fold his clothes as he was eager to join his mate in the shower. They had not had the opportunity for privacy since before the mission to Gamus, and he wished to comfort his troubled mate.

//It's rude to leave someone who's about to fall over in the shower!// Spock could not argue with that logic, so he pulled back the curtain to enter the shower. A blast of steam assaulted his senses as he struggled to close the curtain behind him.

//Thank you, Spock. I really needed this.// Kirk's relief at seeing his naked bondmate joining him filtered through their bond.

//If truth be told, t'hy'la, so did I.// Spock admitted. Encouraged, Jim's lips eagerly met his and Spock became lost in the familiar sensation as the warmth of the water soothed his chilled skin...

End Part I

A/N: So should I keep going? Hahaha.

Oh, has anyone noticed anything particularly "spirky" on the XI DVD yet? I haven't watched much of it. Hopefully there's something slashy on the commentary...


	13. Epilogue Part II

Disclaimer: Star Trek belongs to Gene Roddenberry. The movie rights belong to J.J. Abrams and Paramount. Thanks to Zachary Quinto and Chris Pine for inspiring me to write about the young versions of Spock and Kirk!

.~.

Epilogue – Part II

Spock's hands automatically found Jim's, steadying the wobbly captain. They kissed lazily, exploring each other's mouths while the stream of water from the showerhead tickled Jim's back.

//I am still cold.// Spock projected, and Jim turned them around so that his bondmate could benefit from the water's warmth. He then wrapped his body around Spock's front so the Vulcan was sandwiched in between two sources of heat.

//Missed this, Spock.// Jim's hands brushes his bondmate's, caressing the sensitive tips of the Vulcan's fingers. He rubbed harder in deliberate circles, eliciting a small groan from Spock.

//You are insatiable, t'hy'la.// Kirk smirked as he watched Spock's eyes close and his head tilt back, enjoying the sensations of the Vulcan make out session.

//You know you love it.// Spock agreed wholeheartedly through the bond, although he reminded Jim that he needed to rest. However, Jim didn't see it that way. He brought Spock's left hand to his lips and gently kissed the tips. When Jim inserted the two forefingers into his mouth, Spock knew he had to stop this now or else he wouldn't be able to pull away.

//Jim…// Spock protested, trying to pull his hand free of those oh-so-talented lips, but Jim stubbornly proceeded to keep sucking. The Vulcan tugged harder, managing to free his hand, but accidentally sending Jim flying towards the back of the shower in the process. But Spock's quick reflexes kicked in and he was able to grab his bondmate before he hit the porcelain wall. A stab of pain burst through the bond, which confused Spock. He had prevented Jim from being injured. Why was he in pain?

"Jim, what is it that ails you?" Spock asked as Jim stepped forward and leaned against him, wincing.

"It's my ankle," he confessed. "I think I aggravated it." The Vulcan glanced suspiciously at his bonded.

"Dr. McCoy treated you when you returned from Gamus last week, did he not?" Jim gave a nervous laugh.

"Well, you see, about that..."

"_Jim_." Spock glared at his t'hy'la.

"You were on your deathbed!" Kirk protested. "I had to make sure Bones' attention was only on you. And besides, you know how much I hate hypos! I've had an allergic reaction to half of them." Spock shook his head.

"Why did you shield me from your injury?"

"I _am_ sorry about that," Jim apologized, his tone sincere. "I don't like keeping things from you, Spock. You know that. But we needed to resolve the situation on Gamus, and I wanted to be part of the away team. //To protect you.// I knew Bones would never let me go if he knew about the ankle."

"Logical," Spock admitted. "However, you still should have informed the doctor of your injury. He could have healed it while you were in sickbay, watching over me while I was in my healing trance."

//Coma.// Kirk mentally corrected.

//Healing trance.// The Vulcan insisted.

/Coma!// Jim practically shouted. Spock decided to let that one go.

"Spock, I needed that pain. It helped keep me distracted from worrying about you. Also, I couldn't help feeling that I deserved to hurt, after you donated almost your entire life force to me. And don't _even_ say 'that is illogical'!" Spock raised an eyebrow. Sometimes Jim knew him a little too well.

"Very well, then. How did you manage to avoid the doctor's scanner when you arrived on board the ship?" McCoy automatically scanned Jim for injuries after away missions, after Jim 'forgot' to inform his doctor of his injuries one too many times. Nowadays, it was standard _Enterprise _procedure.

"I commed Sulu, and asked him to distract Bones for me while I was being scanned. I only had the top half of my body done, and while Bones was on a wild goose chase, I reprogrammed my scan so it looked like everything was normal." Jim almost sounded proud.

"I will be contacting Dr. McCoy as soon as we finish showering," Spock decided. "You can explain to him just how you managed to escape his medical attention."

"Please don't," Jim begged. He knew Spock would really do it, too. "I'll go to sickbay tomorrow morning, I swear. I just want to spend the night with you, in our own bed. I can't sleep well in sickbay, remember?"

"Your medical data has indicated that," Spock admitted, rather reluctantly. Truth be told, he didn't want to sleep without Jim either. "Very well, you may stay here tonight. But you must promise me that you will get a full night's sleep."

"Aw, c'mon, Spock," Jim whined. "I haven't had any alone time with you since the start of the mission."

"Your body is too exhausted to participate in sexual activity," said Spock, voicing what they both knew. "However, once you have healed, we may resume our pleasurable activities. Also, you must remember we have a long shore leave coming up, and we shall have plenty of time to ourselves then."

"Fine," Jim grumbled. This worried Spock a little. Jim really must be exhausted if he didn't continue to try to coax Spock into changing his mind.

"Now, I must insist that you sit, and elevate your ankle." Kirk nodded, and Spock helped him over to one of the seats in the tub (which happened to be a jacuzzi by the way; it was good to be the captain.) Jim let out a sigh of relief when he sat down and put his ankle up on the side of the tub.

"Better?" Spock asked.

"Yeah."

"Would you permit me to wash you, t'hy'la?" Spock believed that his bondmate was in no condition to properly wash himself.

"Sure," said Jim, a little touched by Spock's gesture. Gratified, the Vulcan proceeded to quickly wash himself, and then he turned his attentions to Jim. It was a pleasure for Spock to cleanse his bondmate's beautiful, toned body. He took care to wash every part of Jim, even behind his ears and in between his toes.

"I am finished," Spock informed him.

"Remind me to return the favor sometime," Jim sighed. "I'd forgotten how much I enjoyed that. 'Course working on a starship doesn't leave much time for that luxury."

"Indeed," Spock agreed, grabbing a towel to dry the both of them. The Vulcan dried off his bondmate, and then offered, "Shall I help you to bed?"

"By all means," said Jim, waggling his eyebrows. In response, Spock picked up his t'hy'la with ease, stepped out of the shower, and brought him over to their bed.

"You know, I thought you meant to let me lean on you or something," Jim grumbled, although Spock knew from the bond he had very much enjoyed being carried.

"I decided that carrying you was the fastest and most efficient way to transport you from the bathtub to our bed," said Spock. He gently deposited Jim on the bed, being careful not to hurt his ankle.

"Bullshit," Jim laughed. "You just wanted to carry me and my ankle was a good excuse."

"That as well," Spock amended, as he picked out Starfleet regulation pajamas for himself and Jim. They clothed themselves, with Spock having to help Jim put on his pants.

"Isn't this usually the other way around?" Jim complained.

"Dr. McCoy is only a button away," Spock reminded him, his fingers inching towards the comm console by their bed.

"Okay, okay." Kirk allowed Spock to finish clothing him, and accepted his assistance in getting under the covers.

"Computer, lights off." Spock said, and then they were left relative darkness.

They spooned in bed, with Spock curling protectively around his injured t'hy'la. Jim's hands covered the Vulcans, allowing a soothing current to transmit from one bondmate to the other. These moments always reminded Spock of how lucky he was to find someone like Jim, who complemented and challenged him. Who understood him. Jim thought the same of Spock. He was reminded of his Vulcan's devotion after Spock took care of him that night.

"Spock?" Jim said after about ten minutes.

"Yes?"

"I can't sleep." Jim turned over to face his bondmate.

"Would you like me to try a relaxing mental technique?" Jim couldn't hide his amusement from their bond.

"Last time you tried that I almost fell asleep on the bridge for a week. We'd better not try that one for a while."

"As you wish."

"Can we talk for a bit? That always relaxes me."

"That is agreeable," said Spock. "What did you wish to converse about?"

"I dunno. Anything." That was the perfect opening for Spock to bring up a topic he'd been meditating on for some time now. Who knew when he'd have the opportunity to discuss this with his bondmate before they reached Earth?

"Jim?"

"What?" Jim brought his forehead to rest against his t'hy'la's. He sensed Spock's apprehension through their bond, and wished to alleviate it however he could.

"I am not certain this is the time to bring up said topic."

"Now you've got me curious. You'd better just say it," said Jim. The Vulcan didn't keep his captain in suspense.

"Have you ever considered having children?" Jim blew out a long sigh. Through their bond, Spock could feel that the question had rattled his partner, as his heart rate had increased. Inwardly, Jim was panicking and doing his best to shield it from his mate. What if Spock wanted kids now? Jim really didn't think he could handle that.

"To answer your question, yes I have thought about it. I'm aware that the medical field has developed amazing technologies where geneticists can combine our DNA to create a life." Jim's reluctance filled their link. "But I don't know if I'm ready for that just yet. I'm only thirty for chrissakes! I know Starfleet will assign us a new mission before too long, and I'd hate to be an absent parent like my mom."

Finally, Jim calmed down enough to sense the twinge of annoyance from Spock. "That's not what you meant at all, was it?" He said, rather sheepishly. While they were rather accomplished at reading each other's thoughts after being bonded for five years, it still was not a foolproof system.

"Negative," said Spock, who could not help but be amused by Jim's rambling rationalization. "While I do wish to have a child with you in the future, I was referring to the other alternative." Jim pursed his lips.

"You mean adopt?"

"Precisely." Spock felt his bondmate relax a little.

"But adopting still doesn't solve the problem of us being parents they only saw once a year," Jim reminded him. Since his thickheaded bondmate still wasn't getting it, Spock projected the image of the hundreds of Vulcan children living in a Federation-run orphanage on New Vulcan in Jim's mind.

"You want us to adopt an orphaned Vulcan?" Jim was surprised, but not shocked. "How come? It's not like they could come with us on the _Enterprise_." As always, Spock had a logical explanation ready.

"I strongly believe that even a minor presence of parental units is more beneficial to the child rather than the complete absence of parental influence." In a way, Jim had to admit, that made sense.

"I see your point, but-"

"Perhaps if we choose a child who is already used to living without a caretaker but needs moral guidance." Spock had interrupted him, which was a huge gaffe for the Vulcan. It was then that Jim realized just how serious his husband was. Since the logical approach hadn't worked, Spock decided to use emotion to support his point, which often appealed to Jim.

"Jim." Spock locked eyes with his bondmate. "When you were young, did you not wish that you had someone who was interested in your life when your mother was gone? Someone who sent you small tokens (I believe you call them gifts). Someone who left you comms, someone who encouraged you to follow your aspirations?" Jim sighed, taking a mental trip down memory lane.

"Yeah," he admitted after a few minutes. "I guess I did wish for that." Spock held on to Jim a little more tightly, reminding him that he had such a person in his life at present. The Vulcan never wished for his bondmate to experience any more feelings of abandonment, like he had when he'd been a child.

//That was quite an emotional speech from you.// Jim wasn't angry at Spock for toying with his emotions, at least the Vulcan could sense that much.

//I feel very strongly about this, t'hy'la. I wish to aid in the rebuilding of our race by raising an orphaned child. But more importantly, I wish to share this responsibility with you, Jim. I know you would be a more than agreeable father.// From Spock, this was high praise indeed! Spock slyly continued,

//Unless of course, you would prefer not to adopt a Vulcan-//

"Ya know, I'm rather fond of Vulcans," Jim protested, switching to verbal speech. It would be rather awesome to have a little Spock-like Vulcan in the family. And he doubted Vulcan children were too difficult to raise, as they all seemed to be so disciplined. The more he thought about it, the more he liked the idea. He'd always wanted a real family – perhaps it was time for he and Spock to take the first step.

"Is that so?" Spock whispered, as the Vulcan began to kiss his bondmate's neck.

"Yeah." Jim breathed, loving how even a simple gesture from Spock could arouse him so easily. He squirmed under Spock's touch as his bondmate's arms strayed under his shirt to caress his chest.

"Fond enough to adopt a Vulcan child and raise him or her with your t'hy'la?" Spock gently tweaked Jim's nipples, just enough to elicit a verbal response.

"Oh yeah," he moaned.

"Jim, are you aware to what you just agreed to?" Spock asked, slowly removing his hands from his bondmate's skin. Jim had been rather distracted at the moment, and he would often agree to Spock's wishes during the heat of passion. It was a technique the Vulcan used frequently.

"Spock." Jim gazed deeply into his t'hy'la's eyes. "I would love to adopt a Vulcan kid with you."

"Are you certain?" Spock whispered.

"Absolutely." And to prove his sincerity, Jim eagerly kissed Spock. His partner was filled with such joy and relief that he couldn't think. The Vulcan wished to convey his thanks and gratitude but he was so overwhelmed that he didn't know how.

//Meld with me?// Was Jim's tantalizing offer. Luckily for Spock, Jim always knew what to do.

//Please, Jim.// Was Spock's needy reply.

.~.

Once they had finished experiencing a full mental immersion with each other, they returned to themselves, and collapsed, exhausted on the bed.

"I'm so drained I can barely move," Jim groaned. "This is what you do to me, Spock. Every damn time!" Spock couldn't help but feel the illogical but enjoyable smugness for affecting his t'hy'la in such a way. Yet this feeling wasn't onesided. Spock also was sapped of most of his energy each time he took a dip into Jim's complicated but beautiful mind.

"Do not move, ashaya. I will return shortly."

While Spock was using the facilities, Jim dragged his tired ass out of bed and snuck over to their computer. He pulled up the Vulcan database that listed the files of the orphaned children. There were so goddamned many of them! How in the universe would they be able to choose just one?

His eyes finally landed on a young female of seven who was scowling in her picture, and he had to laugh. She looked so out of place next to the other solemn, picture-perfect Vulcans. Curious as to why she was showing emotion and the others were not, he pulled up her file.

The first thing he noticed was the note at the top, which read 'ancestry: half Vulcan, half Romulan, might be reason for her social problems. Does not work well with others.' Interesting! Spock would be the perfect father for this girl, as he was used to finding a balance between both of his halves. Scrolling down, he found she displayed a high intelligence, but often displayed a raging temper. Nor did she respect or trust those in authority. Jim smiled wryly. He certainly understood that feeling well growing up. When her file also indicated that the girl preferred her freedom as she was used to caring for herself, Jim knew she was exactly the one who he and Spock were looking for. The captain was so excited, he couldn't wait until his bondmate returned to their bedroom.

//Hey, Spock!//

//Impatient, are we?// Spock projected from their bathroom.

//No, it's not that. I think I just found the perfect candidate to adopt!// Spock should've known Jim would already be searching for the perfect child on the computer. His bondmate was rather lacking in the patience department, but this was one of those times that Spock found that particular quality to be endearing.

//I shall have to take a look. No doubt you have made an illogical choice.//

//Hey!// Was Jim's indignant reply, but Spock knew he was joking.

//Or perhaps not.// Spock conceded. //What is the name of the child?//

Kirk grinned. It was his turn to use his persuasive techniques on Spock.

//Her name is Saavik.//

.~.

End Epilogue

A/N: Mission to Gamus is officially finished! Whew. Of course I left it open for a sequel, but I won't be writing that for some time. I need to finish Chance Encounter and other projects, but rest assured, I plan on writing another story in this series at some point in the near future. Thanks to everyone who stuck with me!

Also, if you like holiday stories, check out Jimmy and his Ninja Prince, on my profile. I basically combined Star Trek with the Nutcracker to end up with a sweet friendship story of Kirk and Spock when they were kids. I worked really hard on it for the ksadvent LJ com, and would love some feedback! Thanks.

P.S. Brittany Diamond just posted a sweet new episode of the Ship's Closet, centered on Amok Time HERE:http:// youtube .com/watch?v=vRoQJzxUKMQ Watch it! You won't be disappointed.


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